WESTPORT — An essay contest exploring the legacy of sports and civil-rights pioneer Jackie Robinson — open to entries by people 60 years old and over — is being organized by the Westport Library’s Common Ground Initiative.

Theme of the inaugural contest is: “Jackie Robinson stands as an icon of equality and civil rights. What does that say about the power of his legacy, of the place of sports in our culture, and about our modern-day society?”

Entries, in 800 words or less, should be submitted by Monday, March 24. For additional details and to submit an essay, click here.

Winners of the contest, selected by a panel of judges, will be announced on April 15, “Jackie Robinson Day.” In addition, submitted essays will be collected into a book — and accompanying ebook — distributed by Meryl Moss Media. Winners will also receive Jackie Robinson memorabilia, a chance to be featured by the Jackie Robinson Museum and tickets to a New York Mets home game in late April/early May.

The contest is planned in partnership with the Westport Center for Senior Activities, Meryl Moss Media Group, BookTrib and New York Mets.

Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier on April 15, 1947, when he took the field for the Brooklyn Dodgers, becoming Major League Baseball’s first Black player in the modern era. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame for a career highlighted by more than 1,500 hits, 137 home runs and 197 stolen bases.

He later became the first African American to hold an officer-level position at a major corporation; served as an advisor to political leaders; promoted economic empowerment by co-founding a bank and housing development company, and worked to advance equality and social justice until his death in 1972, according to information from the Jackie Robinson Museum.