VERBATIM From The NYT: Jackie Robinson Of The N.Y.P.D.

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Samuel J. Battle 
New York Times Photo
(1941) 

It is odd that Samuel J. Battle, the first black officer in the New York Police Department, is not a larger part of our city’s lore. He was a giant man—6-foot-3 and nearly 300 pounds—who more than 100 years ago led the integration of the department, then essentially an Irish-American enclave.

Mr. Battle’s arc from humble Southern roots through racist barriers in New York would be a familiar story, like the stories of other black pioneers. But he was largely forgotten until a veteran New York journalist followed a trail that led to a remarkable discovery.

The New York Times article continues  here.
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