I was walking on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, in a hurry, but I was stopped short at the sight of two men seated in front of an apartment building in animated conversation. I “knew ” one of them.

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      “Excuse me. Sorry to interrupt.” They looked up. I couldn’t help asking the fellow on the left,                  “Has anyone ever told you you look like a famous comedian?” He studied me.

      “Who?” As is my increasing wont, I couldn't remember the name, but finally, after describing the man’s bio, we came to Tracy Morgan, the comic. The man seemed pleased at the comparison. Then the other fellow became animated.

     “And who do I look like? Who do I look like? “ I studied his face. It had unusual/interesting sharp features, unique.

      “I . . . I . . . I’ll give you a hint. A baseball player of your generation.”

 A baseball player of my generation with unique features? I guessed.

      “Roy Campanella?”

      “No! Jackie Robinson!”

 I brought up images of Jackie Robinson in my Mind’s Eye. He didn’t look anything like #42, but it was  obviously very important to him that he did. So I agreed. 

     “Oh, yeah!”

 

     Then the three of us got into a wonderful discussion about  Robinson stealing home plate, how I had witnessed this incredible feat, how when Robinson would get on base at Ebbets Field it was as if someone had inserted  a giant plug into a giant socket and you could feel the electrical surge. Turns out Robinson was this man’s mother’s cousin.

     “Wow!”

     “And you want to hear something else? You know about Jesse Owens?”  

     “Sure, the ‘36 Olympics in Berlin. After he won, Hitler walked out.”

     “Yeah, but did you know who was right behind him, who came in second place?” I shook my head.

     “Mack Robinson!! He was a relative, too!” Truth to tell, I was in awe, and I think he knew it. We talked a bit more.

 

     Being a retired teacher of Holocaust & Human Rights Education I couldn’t resist talking about the meaning and consequences of the German “untermenschen”, how it was applied to Blacks, Jews, and others. We said a warm goodbye.