This is an I-Heart podcast.

And we continue with our American stories.

Up next, a story from Bob Kendrick,

president of the Negro League's baseball museum

in Kansas City, Missouri. Today, Bob shares with us a story that started in Kansas City,

made its way to Brooklyn, and then became a phenomenon nationwide. Take it away, Bob.

Many of the great changes that occurred in our society

occurred as a result of Jackie Robinson's breaking

of Major League Baseball's color barrier.

Well, Jackie Robinson's illustrious professional baseball career

began right here in Kansas City, 1945.

I think people think that Jackie just walked out of nowhere and started playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

But his real rookie season was here in Kansas City, 1945.

And the three months, because he didn't play a full year, but the three months that he played here in Kansas City, he fell in love with everything that Kansas City is famous for, barbecue and jazz.

He liked the ribs at a place called Old Kentucky barbecue. Old Kentucky barbecue would become the

forerunner of the Great Gates' barbecue chain of restaurants that are world-renowned to this day.

And while New Orleans may lay claim to jazz, it was Kansas City that gave jazz a soul.

And by the end of that 45 season, Jackie had literally disappeared.

His teammates had no idea where he was.

Well, as we know, he had been summoned away to meet Branch Ricky.

And the two of them would meet there in Brooklyn and make the epic decision that Jackie Robinson would become baseball's chosen one,

the man that would break Major League Baseball's six-decade long, self-imposed color barrier.

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