Jackie Robinson Racial Issues

Jackie Robinson was upset with the policy of the color barriers and thought that baseball should not have it and when he got his chance he took it. What pushed Jackie Robinson was that he loved to play the game of baseball, and that he wanted to take care of his family, plus he wanted pro baseball to be to all

October 23, 1945, Jackie Robinson shook hands with Branch Rickey, officially changing baseball and society, signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Robinson grew up in a poor household in Pasadena, California. He attended UCLA, making himself a four sport star athlete . Major league baseball had been segregated at the time, with the only black men playing in separate Negro Leagues. Branch Rickey, the owner of the Dodgers, wanted to break the color barrier. To do that, he had to find someone that could withstand racial discrimination and learn to not fight back when dealt with harsh criticism. Jackie Robinson took an amazing risk when he became the first African-American athlete to play in the major leagues. Robinson has been a huge inspiration to athletes, paving the way for blacks, not just in the game of baseball, as well as being an outspoken activist for the rights of American-Americans.

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).

Jackie Robinson overcame his struggles that he experienced in his life and still became one of the greatest baseball players of all time.

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.

Ever since he was little he was involved in many sports but his favorite one was baseball. “I have memories. I remember standing alone at first base-the only black man on the field. I had to fight hard against my loneliness, abuse, and the knowledge that any mistake I made would be magnified because I was the only black man out there.” (Robison 287).

Hard Working, Strong,and Committed are three words that people think of in connection to Jackie Robinson. Many people know who broke the color barrier in baseball,was jackie robinson, but he was so much more. As a normal kid, Jackie Robinson showed the world that anyone could make a positive change is you stay hard working, strong and committed. He left a legacy as a world changer. There were many racial remarks against Jackie, either physically, or he couldn't do anything about it.

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).

The third reason why Jackie Robinson was so impactful was because his influence on African Americans. In the text it says "Robinson also became a vocal champion for African-American athletes, civil rights, and other social and political causes. In July 1949, he testified about discrimination before the House Un-American Activities Committee. In 1952, he publicly called out the Yankees as a racist organization for not having broken the color barrier five years after he began playing with the Dodgers" (biography.com). This quote shows how he courageously spoke out for all African American rights.

Jackie Robinson was a game changer for all sports. He broke barriers in baseball allowing African Americans to play baseball. Jackie was hated at first but he didn't say anything and let his playing do the talking. Jackie didn't only change baseball he helped his community and the Civil Rights movement.

As an exceptional athlete and an honorable man Jackie Robinson changed the way not only sports are seen in the world but how life is seen in the

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 continued to make an impact on civil rights even after his retirement from baseball. With his life in baseball winding down, Jackie ramped up his off- field involvement in advancing racial justice (Schutz 116). He continued to help and make his mark as one of the most influential people in helping blacks achieve their civil rights. Jackie was very involved in the Little Rock Nine School crisis which was an early effort to begin desegregation of southern high schools (Schutz 117). Dwight D Eisenhower, the President at that time, told Jackie that all blacks needed was patience for de-segregation to occur. Robinson strongly berated the President for these comments as it was abundantly clear that he had no understanding of the incredible hardships blacks had endured (Schutz 121). Jackie participated in the March on Washington which was a signature moment for the

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.

42 is a 2013 film based on a true story and stars Chadwick Boseman and Harrison Ford. This is another movie that shows an underprivileged black athlete standing up to racism. The film depicts Jackie Robinson overcoming racism to become the first black athlete to play in the Major League of Baseball. Before the 1947 season, no black athlete had ever played at the major league level. There were other organizations and leagues outside the MLB in which black athletes could play, but before Jackie Robinson none had played for a MLB club. Robinson would go on to win the Rookie of the Year award as well as a Most Valuable PLayer award two years later in 1949. Being the first black baseball player in the MLB, Robinson faced many instances in which