When you hear the name Jackie Robinson, you probably think of Dodger blue, the number 42, and that famously stoic face staring down racism from a dirt infield. It’s a heavy legacy. Honestly, it’s a lot for any kid to carry. But while the world was busy immortalizing his father in bronze statues, Jackie Robinson son David was busy charting a path that had absolutely nothing to do with batting averages or stolen bases.
Most people expect the son of a legend to follow the script. You know the one: play the sport, run the foundation, and do the interviews. David didn't do that. Instead, he moved to Africa. He became a coffee farmer. He traded the spotlight of Brooklyn and Connecticut for the red soil of the Tanzanian highlands.
Who is David Robinson?
David is the youngest of Jackie and Rachel Robinson’s three children. He was born in 1952, right in the thick of his father's historic career. But by the time David was old enough to really get what was happening, Jackie had already hung up the cleats. To David, Jackie wasn't just a civil rights icon; he was the guy who would take him out on a rowboat to go fishing, even though the elder Robinson couldn't swim a lick.
Imagine that for a second. The man who stood up to the entire MLB was terrified of the water, yet he’d sit in a tiny boat just because his kid liked to fish. That's the kind of quiet discipline David grew up with.
But life wasn't all fishing trips. The Robinson household was a hub for the Civil Rights Movement. David was at the March on Washington in 1963. He saw the struggle for Black economic power firsthand. He saw his father work for Chock full o'Nuts (a coffee company, ironically) and start Freedom National Bank in Harlem. The message was clear: being "the first" wasn't enough if you didn't build something that lasted for the community.
Why David Robinson Left America for Tanzania
In the early 1980s, David made a choice that stunned a lot of people. He left the United States. He didn't just go for a vacation; he moved to Tanzania to stay.
Why?
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He felt a pull toward his ancestral roots, but it was deeper than just genealogy. David wanted to find a way to connect the resources of Africa with the economic power of Black Americans. He spent nearly a decade in Harlem beforehand, working on cooperative housing and trying to fix the "under-employment" trap. He realized that to truly build Black wealth, you had to control the production, not just the consumption.
In 1989, David and his family began clearing forest in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania. This wasn't a hobby. They were literally swinging axes alongside Tanzanian farmers from five different tribes. Out of that sweat and dirt, Sweet Unity Farms was born.
The Sweet Unity Coffee Business
David didn't want to be a colonial-style plantation owner. That would have been the opposite of everything Jackie stood for. Instead, he joined a community of third-generation Tanzanian farmers.
- The Cooperative Model: He helped form the Mshikamano Farmers Group. It started with 47 small-scale, family-owned farms and grew into hundreds.
- Direct Trade: Usually, coffee farmers get squeezed by middlemen. David’s company, Up-Country International Products, bypasses those guys.
- Real Wages: His model pays farmers significantly more than the standard "fair trade" rates. We’re talking about 20-25% more.
It’s kind of a "seed-to-cup" philosophy. He wanted the people growing the beans to actually own the process. Today, Sweet Unity Farms coffee is sold in the U.S. at places like Kent State University and through various roasters in New Jersey and California.
Living the Legacy, Not Just Holding the Trophy
David Robinson has ten children. Let that sink in. He’s built a massive, multi-generational family in Tanzania. He married Ruti Mpunda, a woman from the Wanyamwezi people, and they’ve spent decades bridging the gap between the African diaspora and the continent itself.
He’s often asked about the pressure of being Jackie Robinson’s son.
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"I consider what I do black development, black survival," David once said in an interview. He doesn't see himself as a baseball scion; he sees himself as a continuation of his father's later work—the work of economic empowerment. Jackie wasn't just a ballplayer; he was a businessman and an activist. David just changed the scenery.
Differences from his brother, Jackie Robinson Jr.
It’s worth noting that the Robinson family dealt with immense tragedy. David’s older brother, Jackie Jr., struggled deeply with the pressures of his father's fame and the trauma of the Vietnam War. He eventually overcame addiction but died in a car accident in 1971 at just 24 years old.
David was only 19 when his brother died and 20 when his father passed away. That kind of loss can break a person, or it can forge them. For David, it seems to have fueled a need for a "clean break" from the American cycle of celebrity. In the mountains of Mbeya, he isn't "Jackie’s kid." He’s a farmer, a neighbor, and a leader.
The Reality of Farming in Tanzania
Don't get it twisted—this isn't some romanticized "Lion King" version of Africa. Farming is brutal work.
Tanzania is beautiful, but the poverty is real. David has spent the last 40 years dealing with infrastructure issues, fluctuating global coffee prices, and the sheer physical toll of agriculture. But he’s also used his position to bring in resources. He’s worked with nonprofits like Books For Africa to ship over a million books to students in Tanzania. He’s helped build community centers and worked on clean water projects.
What You Can Learn from David’s Path
Most of us are obsessed with "success" in a very narrow way. We want the promotion, the followers, the high score. David Robinson’s life suggests a different metric.
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He took a name that could have opened every door in New York City or Los Angeles and used it to open doors for farmers in a remote corner of East Africa. He prioritized "unity" (it’s in the name of the farm, after all) over individual fame.
Actionable Insights from the Robinson Legacy:
- Look for the Source: If you’re a coffee drinker, seek out "direct trade" brands. It actually makes a difference in the lives of people like those in the Mshikamano cooperative.
- Economic Activism: Follow the model of the Jackie Robinson Foundation or Sweet Unity. Don't just give charity; build systems where people can earn their own way.
- Define Your Own "Field": You don't have to play the game everyone expects you to play. If your "major league" is in a different country or a different industry, go there.
If you want to support the work David is doing, the most direct way is to look for Sweet Unity Farms coffee. It’s 100% Arabica, grown in volcanic soil, and it tastes like a legacy that’s been earned, not just inherited.
The story of Jackie Robinson son David reminds us that the best way to honor a pioneer isn't to stand where they stood, but to keep moving forward into new territory.
Next Steps for Readers:
To see the impact of this work firsthand, research the Jackie Robinson Foundation’s current initiatives in international development or visit the Sweet Unity Farms website to see how their cooperative model functions in the current global market.