Personal Narrative: The Color Line

Human history offers people from all walks of life the privilege of understanding the conception of bridging the racial gap. No one could have ever imagined that The Color Line could be infiltrated by way of an All-American Sport. If I had a chance to speak to anyone, dead or alive, it would be an honor to sit and speak with Jackie Robinson. Robinson was 28 years old when he broke down color barriers in baseball. Although he was barely older than the age of the typical college graduate during that time, he was already well aware of the invaluable lesson of self-control, goal-setting, and sportsmanship. When sitting with Mr. Robinson, one of the first things I would ask is how he was he able to maintain restraint against racial injustices on and off the field. Was there a mantra he would repeat to himself to maintain composure in the face of supremacy? Who in his life gave him the tools to maintain self-control? In my life, my mother’s voice is what I hear when injustices enter my path.

For example, one of the first times I started driving, I made a minor infraction while driving in the car with my mom. It was a little late at night and we were on our way to the gas station. As we came to a stop, a cop came up to my window showing his badge and aggressively attempted to make me get out of the car. My mom just sat and watched how I

If you're going to spend your whole life in the grandstand just watching what goes on, in my opinion you're wasting your life." This quote is meaningful to me and encourages the notion that you need to be a part of a team that is working for the positive, and not just waiting for things to happen. I believe in this quote. It will take a community to remedy the wrongs of our history, and if you are not participating in what’s going on around you (that is to say partnering with a team of peers to make things better), then you are just