59% View Jackie Robinson Favorably

Jackie Robinson made his Major League Baseball debut 66 years ago this week and by doing so shattered the league’s color barrier, but he impacted race relations far beyond the sports culture. Today, most Americans still view the legendary civil rights figure favorably.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 59% of Americans Adults have at least a somewhat favorable impression of Robinson, including 36% who view him Very Favorably. Just four percent (4%) have an unfavorable opinion of the baseball great. However, 36% don’t know enough about him to venture an opinion. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on April 16-17, 2013 by Rasmussen Reports. {snip}