Kenny Washington: The First Black NFL Player

Joe it was Joseph Clifford Montana and he had a lot of fun but when came to game day he was focused and ready. He didn’t always play football he also played basketball and baseball. When he got into high school his coach said that he was meant to be a quarterback and that he was a gift from god but he at first he was seventh string.

Mayor Washington had a lot to try to overcome in his first three years of his term. He was being opposed at virtually every turn and everything that he tried to do by a group of white aldermen. Never wanting to give up, he did all he could to

Washington was a successful farmer in the South which served as a great example of how hard work can lead to success. The hard truth of the South was local governments controlled by white

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 went to Hawaii in 1941 to join the semiprofessional football team, the Honolulu Bears. After the season had ended, Jackie then intended to be a running back for the Los Angeles Bulldogs. But the Japanese attacked Pearl harbor at this time and that interrupted and unfortunately ended Jackie's football career. Jackie wasn't a good football player. He was a great football player. During his football career he wasn't allowed into hotels and other racists things happened just because he's black. But that didn't change how he played football. His teammates also didn't prefer to use his color as an "identity" for

“A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.” (Jackie Robinson). Being born to sharecropper parents living in Georgia, Jackie Robinson faced racism and hatred early on. He overcame these adversities and became one of baseball 's most historic players for not only his lightning speed on the field, but his courage to break major league baseball 's color barrier. Jackie Robinson was the most influential sports athlete because he changed American society forever.

Historical Background Before Mr. Washington was even elected into presidency, he was a politician and a soldier. However,

Jackie Robinson had an effect to the people and the sport during that time period. He played at his best and did not let anyone try to bring him down. Robinson helped a lot of people of changing the outlook on racism. Jackie Robinson was a big impact in the sport and to the people, if he did not pursue the sport, no one would know what would happen and if it would be

Jackie succeeded in putting the prejudice and racial strife aside, and showed everyone what a talented and dedicated player he was. Robinson led the National League in stolen bases and was selected as Rookie of the Year, he led in stolen bases that year and earned the National League's Most Valuable Player Award. Jackie Robinson became a hero of Baseball, he set league records and became the highest paid in Dodgers history. His success and achievements opened the door for many other African American black baseball players, and inspires children and kids today to play Baseball despite other people’s opinions and thoughts on it. Jackie also became very vocal and voiced his opinion on discrimination, he called out the Yankees for still not having their color barrier broken years after he played with the Dodgers.

However things were not going to remain the same. Because having won both Prizes in 1968, in the NFL, in the 1968 regular season, his team lost 12 games, it won only one and had one tied something that made him fight to take this team forward. At that moment he just could mark an average of 622 yards per season. That was "The Buffalo Bills", which was very bad at that time; also the team was a member of the

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).

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.

For example, many people have sent hate mail and death threats, and some fans harassed him from the stands during a ball game. Along with interpersonal oppression, Jackie also faced institutional oppression. There was never a law that said black men could not play baseball, but it was an “unwritten law.” This is considered Institutional oppression. People had the belief that it was against the law for blacks to play ball with whites, when, in reality, it was not.

That year, he accomplished the Rookie of the Year, a National League MVP in 1949, and was awarded the World Series champion 6 years later. But through all the racism and segregation, Jackie Robinson continued to play outstanding and became known as the legend of the first African American MBA