Ava Mendez
Michael Strack
English 9
9 April 2023
Research Essay
Jackie Robinson was a great inspiration to everyone. Robinson was the first person of color to play baseball, and inspired so many young people. He taught others that no matter who you are, everyone can be anything. His journey was rough but his legacy will forever live on. Jackie Robinson was an inspiration to all, and helped so many people feel comfortable with who they are. He helped segregation and discrimination start to end. He had to fight so hard for these issues, and the world would never be the same without him.
Walter Dean Myers was born on the 12th of August, 1937, in Martinsburg, West Virginia. Walter was about two years old when his mother died and then was inexplicably
…show more content…
Another example is, “Throughout history baseball and other sports have struggled with race. So many events in history are blurred together, but each event or topic stands out in their own way. The Civil rights act and segregation are two different things. The government doesn’t care for the color of someone’s skin, but instead the money that those people brought to the sport” (Sailer). Devastating historic events should not be blurred or clumped together. Instead they should be addressed and people should understand the differences between them. After a while the government started caring more about money, and the success the players were bringing in than how they looked. Sports museum states, “Once Jackie started playing MLB baseball segregation in the sport drastically began to end. Jackie Robinson was a very successful man who won many different achievements. Many of those achievements were awards that had never been given out to an African American player before. Jackie changed the game of baseball, because of him players from any ethnicity had a chance at becoming big” (Sports Museum). Jackie was one of the heros who began the end of segregation. This was not easy and his legacy will forever be remembered. He paved the way for so many athletes. If it wasn't for him many people of color would not be where they are today. Sailer adds, “JACKIE ROBINSON'S vast (and deserved) fame tends to make us assume that blacks and whites never played together before April 1946. In truth, as the supply of black baseball talent exploded after World War I, the demand for it could not be contained either. There were of course the Negro Leagues. By the 1940s they were booming, and their All Star game frequently outdrew the white version. More forgotten are the many venues outside the South where blacks and whites increasingly played together” (Sailer). Jackie was not the first African American to play. He was
During that time, whites and blacks still played in separate leagues. Jackie Robinson had only been playing in the Negro Leagues for a little while when he was contacted by the Branch Rickey, president of the Brooklyn Dodgers, as he wanted Robinson to play for the Dodgers. Robinson joined the Montreal Royals, a farm team for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Rickey was well aware of the racism and insults that would be directed at Robinson when he played, so he made Robinson promise not to react when faced with racism. Rickey also tested Robinson by taunting him with racial slurs and insults he knew Robinson would have to endure.
On April 15,1947, Jackie Robinson, age 28, became the first African American player in Major League Baseball’s modern era when he stepped into the Field in Brooklyn to compete for the Brooklyn
Derek Young Mrs. Hitchcock Language Arts 2 February 2023 Jackie Robinson's Impact on Lives Jackie Robinson was not just a prolific athlete but also changed the world around us. He shows us that anyone can do anything by becoming the first ever Professional African American baseball player in the minor leagues. He had a hard life in his childhood and persevered. He showed American Americans could do anything.
It is so easy for people to not see the significance of what it meant for Jackies integration into the MLB especially today when so very many black athletes and minorities play such big roles in sports. This was significant because for the first time the participation of black athletes in professional baseball played side by side with the whites. His bravery was showcased night after night when he left the dugout and stood on a field where he was pelted with bottles and racist comments were made. This became know as the baseball color line. Shortly after this was the desegregation of the military.
Jackie wasn’t just good at baseball he was also good at basketball because of the weather where he played. He signed up for basketball just to stay in shape when it was cold outside. In addition, the author also quoted that “Jackie Robinson was the first African American to receive a contract to play Major League Baseball. This first break in organized baseball's segregation practices in 1945 paved the way for other talented black athletes to enter the sport. Robinson's flair, grace, and superlative athletic ability made him one of the top crowd-pleasers baseball has ever known" (McGuire).
Jackie Robinson, the name may sound familiar. He was the first Black athlete in professional baseball, and had stunning skills. Many were encouraged by him to give a shot at the things that they were good at, even if people were against them. However, he used his influence for other things, too. Jackie Robinson used his influence and support, as well as hard-work and dedication along with his outstanding courage to help change the standard of Black equality and rights in the United States.
First, Jackie inspired many kids by being the first colored man in the MLB. Dusty Baker in the article “MLB’s integration struggle started with Jackie Robinson. It didn’t end there” said, “All the time I was growing up as a kid, my dad would always remind me when I would get in a scrap or scuffle or something, especially like a racial scuffle, my dad would also tell me to think about what Jackie would do” (Frommer 1). Jackie had an impact on many kids with what he accomplished and he still does. Next, Jackie wasn’t always playing baseball he would also be out and helping others.
Jackie Robinson has impacted many young baseball players today. He had to of had so much courage to be the first African American MLB player in history. To be able to just ignore every bad thing that was said to him, and keep playing aggressively. I think that from him doing that, it gave other African American players the guts to want to be in the MLB or any ordinary team in general. Some kids are nervous about going to their first practice or game, but I think that since Jackie Robinson was the first African American MLB player, it helped some kids to not be as nervous.
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.
The reason for having the Negro Leagues was because it very unlikely to have a colored person be on the same field as a white person. However, one man who stands alone Jackie Robinson’s defeat to break the color barrier in baseball with the help of Branch
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)
As Jackie Robinson once said “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives”. There is no doubt that Jackie Robinson has been one of most impactful baseball players to ever play the sport. For reasons such as pushing himself to reach his goals, facing many hardships, and being the first African American to play in the MLB, he has shown perseverance and been a role model to everyone. The first reason how Jackie Robinson has impacted society is how he worked hard to reach his goals.
(biography 2) Jackie proved to many that it does not matter the color of your skin but how well you play the game. It was Jackie’s love, hard work, and enthusiasm that allowed him to excel in Organized Baseball. He did not let the hate of others and hurtful comments obstruct his view of winning and being the best he can be. “Robinson made advancements in the cause of civil rights for black athletes.
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).