A bronze statue of Jackie Robinson, the baseball legend who broke the color barrier in 1947, was cut off at the ankles and stolen from a park in Wichita, Kansas.
The statue was installed in 2021 by a youth baseball league as a tribute to Robinson’s legacy and a source of inspiration for the community. The burned and dismantled remains of the statue were later found in a trash can fire.
Jackie Robinson’s statue was reported missing on Thursday morning from McAdams Park, where it stood near a baseball field used by League 42, a nonprofit organization that provides affordable baseball opportunities for children in the city. The league is named after Robinson’s number with the Brooklyn Dodgers, the team he joined in 1947 as the first African American player in Major League Baseball.
Jackie Robinson faced racism and discrimination throughout his career, but he also became a civil rights icon and a Hall of Famer. His statue, which cost about $50,000, was made by the late local artist John Parsons and depicts Robinson in his Dodgers uniform, swinging a bat. It was meant to honor his courage and perseverance, and to inspire the young players of League 42, who come from diverse backgrounds and face various challenges.
Bob Lutz, the executive director of League 42, said he was shocked and heartbroken by the theft and vandalism of the statue. He said the statue was a “symbol of hope” and a “point of pride” for the community, and that it was “unfathomable” that someone would do such a thing.
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The Wichita police said they were investigating the incident as a felony theft and a hate crime, and that they had some leads and surveillance footage of the suspects. They claimed to have found the truck that was used to haul away the statue, but it was abandoned and had no license plates.
They also said they recovered some of its burned pieces on Tuesday morning, after the fire department responded to a call about a trash can fire at Garvey Park, about six miles away from McAdams Park.
Wichita police Chief Joe Sullivan said he was “disgusted” and “angry” by the crime, and that he considered it a “personal affront” to him and the city. He said he believed the motive was racial hatred, and that he would not tolerate such acts in his community.
Lutz, on the other hand, said he was grateful for the outpouring of love and solidarity from the community, and that he was determined to replace the statue as soon as possible. He said he had the original mold of the statue, and that he had already raised more than $120,000 in donations for the new Jackie Robinson statue.
