Jackie Robinson was the first black baseball player to play in the MLB on an all white baseball team called the Brooklyn Dodgers. Robinson faced a lot of difficulties with racism and segregation. Some challenges he had to overcome were him not being accepted by his teammates, he got hate mail, threats against him and his family, angry segregated mobs, and a whole lot of rejection because he was black. Jackie Robinson states “ bigoted fans screaming n---” and “ the hate mail piled up.” During his experiences he learned that the world is not accepting and judges a lot based upon what they look like.
Jackie Robinson was a man who overcame incredible obstacles to break the color barrier in Major League Baseball. He was an exemplary figure of courage and strength in the face of kind of daunting odds, similar to the protagonist in Shirley Jackson''s short story, "The Lottery\", sort of contrary to popular belief. In the story, a small village is forced to pick one of its citizens to be sacrificed to the gods, and the protagonist refuses to accept the unfairness of the situation. Like the protagonist in the story, Jackie Robinson had to fight against the racism and prejudice of his time. He essentially worked kind of hard to generally prove that he was capable of playing in the major leagues, despite the negative opinions of those in power.
From Segregation To Success: The Jackie Robinson Story Few people have had as large of an impact on sports history as Jackie Robinson. Robinson's courage and determination opened the door for hundreds of other Black athletes to follow in his footsteps as the first African-American baseball player to break the color barrier in Major League Baseball (MLB) in 1947. Many sources say Robinson's impact went far beyond the world of sports, as his legacy has assisted in challenging and reshaping American society's perceptions of race and discrimination. Arnold, Rampersad's Jackie Robinson: A Biography is a thorough and insightful biography of the revolutionary baseball star.
“A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives,” said Jackie Robinson. Jackie lived to change the lives of people around the world. Jackie changed segregation starting with baseball but then other sports. Jackie Robinson is the most impactful Civil Rights activist. Jackie Robinson was important to history and the civil rights movement because he broke the MLB color barrier and was a civil rights activist.
For most people, Jackie Robinson is a household name. Many people know who he was, and admire him for the roles he played in the integration of African American and White men in both major and minor league baseball. Robinson became the first African American man to play major league baseball when he signed to play with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947 and within his decade long career he faced hardships while attempting to demolish the fifty years of Segregation in the United States also known as the “color barrier.” From the beginning of his career, to the end of his life, Robinson stood for the equality of all races in all aspects and locations. He became known as a civil rights advocate because of his efforts and accomplishments towards civil
The article states, “In later seasons, more African- Americans joined other teams in the Major Leagues, as Robinson continued to excel.” This evidence helps the reader understand that Jackie was a hero to African Americans. He set a example for other African Americans to not be afraid to try out for something that someone says you can't do. Even when Jackie was younger, he stood up for racism.
Jackie Robinson was someone who changed and impacted baseball history. On April 15th 1947, he became the first African American player in the major leagues, signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers. He faced racial abuse and harassment throughout his career but put it aside and showed everyone how talented he really was. Robinson was named Rookie of the Year in 1947, a World Series champion in 1955, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1962. He became the vocal champion for African American athletes and civil rights.
Throughout the course of his life and baseball career, he overcame many obstacles, unthinkable to others, and went on to not only gain the respect of blacks and whites; he went on to become one of the greatest and most admired baseball players of all time. In an interview after a game, Branch Rickey was quoted saying “He’s the indispensable man that can carry a team by himself.” Jackie will be remembered for generations to come as a role model to
Not just in sports, but in the Civil Rights Movement as a whole. During Jackie’s prime, “people began to view him as a spokesman for other African-Americans. He was an outspoken activist for African-Americans’ rights. He participated in many protests for fair wages and workers’ rights.” (Santella)
He was a big part in the fight for equal rights. Jackie Robinson took so much abuse on the field because of his race that it gave him mental breakdowns. These breakdowns sometimes took days to recover from but he went through all of that so other people would have better opportunities. But this didn’t just go on for one season, Robinson had to deal with that racism for about two years before he was really accepted as a “respected” baseball player. (Kuhn,web) and (Wilson,web).
An icon is a person or thing regarded as a representative symbol of something. This man was not only an Icon in baseball, but a civil rights leader, a father of three, and a role model for all young adults. Jackie Robinson was a small town boy who had big-time dreams. He was from a small city in Georgia and always had outstanding athletic abilities. Not only was Jackie a baseball player, but he also played a major role in breaking the color barrier.
Jackie Robinson fought to end segregation, and the rights for all people through many different ways. The most recognized and probably the biggest thing he did was transform all sports through being the first African American to play professional baseball. This did not only stop discrimination in baseball but this helped stop discrimination in all sports together. After his impact on baseball he wasn't done there, he join the National Association for the advancement of colored people. He became the chairman for the freedom fund and later raised over a million dollars.
Jackie Robinson is known to be one of the most influential people in baseball and in society. He eternally changed the aspect of American history. It was unusual to have a colored person be treated equally as a white person during the time of the 1900s. He was born in Cairo, Georgia in 1919 and later moved to Pasadena, California to pursue a better life. He came from a poor family of sharecroppers in the South and was the youngest of five.
Jackie Robinson not only made impacts on the field that were monumental, but he made impacts off the field that were equally as important. Jackie helped presidents get elected, get kids off the streets and into the most prestigious schools there is, and most importantly he broke the black color barrier in baseball. Jackie Robinson is one of the most influential people to ever live, he did things that people would dream about, he stood up for what he believed. To begin, Jackie’s biggest accomplishment was breaking the black color barrier on baseball, “ Jackie Robinson broke through the color barrier that kept blacks out of the Major League Baseball [MLB].
Jackie Robinson challenged white America’s societal perception of African American at the time. “Robinson won Rookie of the Year in 1947. In later seasons, more African-Americans joined other teams in the Major Leagues, as Robinson continued to excel. His success gained him fans from all over the country.” (Mcbirney 14).