Who Was Jackie Robinson Responsible For The Civil Rights Movement?

“Here is a transracial figure beloved by blacks and whites who rails against the absurdities of white racism and the seductive security of black xenophobia” (West 3). Cornel West in I Never Had it Made sees Jackie Robinson as a human being loved by all, no matter the race, and someone who fights passionately for the Civil Rights movement. Jackie Robinson was born in a small African-American town in Georgia called Cairo, but moved to California because they could not afford to live there anymore and went to Pasadena to live with their uncle (“sabr”). Sports had always been important to him since he was a little boy (Robinson 9). Jackie Robinson coming out of high school was a tremendous athlete and had many college offers, but he chose UCLA

I participated in basketball, baseball, football, track and received honorable mentions in football and basketball” (Robinson 10). He began his professional baseball career at the Kansas city Monarchs in 1945. Two years later, his first official game in the Major league with the Brooklyn Dodgers was on April 15, 1947. Jackie Robinson ended up retiring on January 5, 1957 (“baseballhall”). Just a few years later, the Civil rights movement was at its boiling point when in 1963 Martin Luther King gave his “I Have A Dream” speech. The Civil Rights movement was getting the rights of citizens to political and social freedom and equality. With the help of Jackie Robinson just one year later, the Civil Rights act of 1964 was passed thus banning desegregation of race and sex. Jackie Robinson revolutionized American culture by breaking the color barrier in baseball, advocating for the Civil Rights movement, and playing an active role in adjusting African-American positions in

The reason Jackie was so special and Branch Rickey chose him was that Jackie could handle himself when it came to racist comments and being antagonized. When Jackie Robinson was first brought in by Branch Rickey, he said to Jackie “‘I know you’re a good ballplayer,’ he barked. ‘What I don’t know is whether you have the guts’” (Robinson 31). Jackie Robinson let his success in the majors do the talking. He showed the American people and the baseball world that change was possible and could happen anywhere through perseverance and determination. To add on, Jackie Robinson was an outstanding baseball player. In Jackie Robinson's first season he was named Rookie of the year. “He was named the NL MVP just two years later in 1949, when he led the league in hitting with a .342 average and steals with 37, while also notching a career-high 124 RBI” (“baseballhall”). He ended his career with a .311 batting average, 1518 hits, and 734 RBI (“baseballhall”). His induction into the Hall of Fame was a huge leap in desegregation in American baseball. This also lead to more African-American players being accepted into the majors, thus altering the trend of racism in American baseball and