The integration of baseball in 1947 had undeniable significance for the civil rights movement and American history. In Jackie Robinson and the Integration of Baseball, NPR's Weekend Edition host Scott Simon brings his passion for baseball and for civil rights to this crucial moment. As Simon himself once said in an interview: "No athlete performed at a higher level through greater stress than Jackie Robinson." He deftly captures the drama of Robinson's first year in baseball, when his heroism was constantly on display -- and how he went from rookie to Rookie of the Year, the award that now bears Robinson's name.

From Ground Zero in New York to ground zero in Kabul, to police stations, subway platforms, and darkened theaters, NPR's Peabody-Award-winning correspondent Scott Simon brings a well-traveled perspective to his role as host of Weekend Edition Saturday.