Jackie Robinson Research Paper

Jackie Robinson: An American Hero

There is a quote from the movie The Sandlot that says, “Heroes get remembered, but legends never die.” This means that, everyone will remember the hero, but the legends’ spirit will live on, even after they have died. Jackie Robinson fits both the hero and the legend description. He defied odds, broke records and opened the doors for African-American athletes everywhere. Jackie Robinson is not just a legendary baseball player, he created a Civil Rights movement and helped change the course of American history forever. Jackie Robinson, born January 31st, 1919 in Cairo, Georgia, has been a hero since he was a child. He was the youngest of five children, all raised by a single mother, and close to the poverty

Especially one in professional sports. So, in 1945, Jackie Robinson signed to play for the Kansas City Monarchs, a team in the Negro National League (Obias 1). After a year with the Monarchs, Branch Rickey, the president of the Brooklyn Dodgers major league baseball team, sent a recruiter to Kansas City, and chose Robinson to help him in the task of integrating Major League Baseball (“JR Biography” 3). He sent Robinson to play for Brooklyn’s minor league affiliate team, the Montreal Royals. In 1947, before signing him, Branch Rickey met with Robinson to have an important talk. Robinson would have to ignore the racial slurs and people yelling and threatening him for playing baseball on a white team. When Robinson asked Rickey if he wanted a player who is afraid to fight back, Rickey said, “Robinson, I’m looking for a ballplayer with guts enough to fight back,” (Robinson 33). Meaning, it takes a bigger man to not to fight against his oppositions, but to use them for his own gain. That talk would carry Robinson through his career with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Robinson’s time with the Dodgers, and hate from baseball fans all over the country, showed his talent and courage. With these traits, Robinson made an impact in society by inspiring African-American athletes across the country for being the first African-American in a professional sport. His impact, talent and courage would continue to show throughout his lifetime, which is why Robinson achieved so