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Jackie Robinson's Daughter Visits Miami Middle School To Talk Breaking Barriers

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – The daughter of the great Jackie Robinson visited a local middle school as part of Black History Month with a lesson on a topic her family knows well – breaking barriers.

When Jackie Robinson got to the major leagues in 1947, he broke more than a baseball barrier, he helped to usher in a movement that would change our country.

With speed and grit, grace and dignity, he made himself into a hall of famer and civil rights icon.

On Thursday, his daughter, Sharon Robinson, visited Miami's Kinloch Middle School to talk to 6th graders about her dad's legacy.

And in his honor, they held an essay contest.  The kids' topic: how they've overcome personal barriers in their own lives.

"It's helpful to know that we've been here before and we've gotten beyond it, because that's part of the beauty of history," she told the class. "You learn from the actions of people in the past and you take those actions and apply them to your current situation."

The contest and visit are part of a joint effort with the Miami Marlins and coincide with Black History Month.

"Black History Month is a time for us to look back and be proud of how far we've come as a people," she said. "And since I work on overcoming obstacles, it certainly is a time for me to look at different obstacles we've overcome over the centuries."

Ten student essay winners will be rewarded with prizes like tickets this year's MLB All-Star Game at Marlins Park and the 2017 World Series.

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