Segregation, discrimination, slavery and being bound by the Jim Crow Laws were an era that many African Americans were subjected to. So many things have changed over the last 60 years that it is hard to believe that such ignorance even existed. It was people like Jackie Robinson that made a difference and assisted in the change that we know today as equal opportunity regardless of race, color or religion. Jackie Robinson was a sports pioneer of the Civil Rights Movement and best known for becoming the first African-American to play professional baseball in the major leagues. Jackie Robinson was a man who faced adversity, his entire life. A man who overcame his obstacles by facing his obstacles head on. He was part of an era where racial discrimination …show more content…
Discrimination, segregation and hatred for the black man was prevalent in the South but existed throughout the United States. It's not often that the character of a man can be summed up in a sentence, but Jackie Robinson was not an ordinary man. He was a trendsetter and changed the face of sports in America. Jackie Robinson once said, " A life is not important, " he said, except in the impact it has on other lives." (1) Jackie changed face of sports…. By that standard, he lived and few people—and no other athlete—this century has impacted more lives than Jackie Robinson. He was an exceptional athlete that was outraged at the injustice and quick to stand up for his rights. His natural instinct wasn't to turn the other cheek, but to face problems head on. His athleticism opened many doors for him. Being black did not stop Jackie Robinson from attaining his dreams. Jackie Robinson changed the face of sports for all athletes and played a major role in the desegregation in America by breaking the organized baseball color barrier and assisted in the civil-rights revolution that today we know it as equal opportunity regardless of color, sex, race or
“Robinson faced death threats, vulgar insults, and hate-filled fans”(Jackie Robinson para 3). It’s because he was the first African-American baseball player in major league baseball and nobody liked him because of that. Jackie Robinson was a brave, hardworking men that accomplished a lot in his life for baseball and African-American community. Jackie Robinson had a positive influence on African Americans because he was the first African-American baseball player in major league baseball, he was a founder of ways to help African-American and he was a civil rights advocate for African-Americans.
Since the formation of America, there have been many people who helped create the country as it is known today. Their lives and choices affected the course of history of the US for the better. Many of these characters attacked the racism of America. African Americans have had to deal with great discrimination and unequal treatment acted upon them. Because of this, these great figures rose up to fight against racism and give African Americans the rights they deserve. One of these contributors to American culture that fought against racism was Jackie Robinson. Jackie Robinson was a famous baseball player who aided in the integration of African Americans in many areas of life.
Growing up as an African American during a time of discrimination and segregation in the United States took a lot of bravery. Blacks who grew up during this era were constantly pushed around, patiently awaiting the day they could use the same bathroom as a White man. One of the first men to help break this barrier is Jackie Robinson. Unlike the great MLK, Robinson was able to fight for change with something other than his words; he broke down segregation in America with a bat and a glove.
First, Jackie robinson is influential because his work to break the color barrier. For example, according to the website “history vault” it says, “Jackie Robinson made history in 1947 when he broke baseball’s color barrier to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers.” This quote explains my answer because he broke the barrier not only for himself, but for everyone. Also according to the website “history vault” it says, “When general manager Branch Rickey of the Brooklyn Dodgers offered Robinson the chance to break organized baseball’s powerful but unwritten color line, the fiery ballplayer not only
Jackie Robinson brought baseball fans of all races together and it improved race relations because even though their was still hatred, white people were getting eased into racial integration since Jackie Robinson was laying the foundations of civil rights. Robinson was loved by many and hated by plenty, every game he played he packed the stands whether it be fans who are cheering for him or booing him. According to the biography by Wilson “Many fans came out to cheer Robinson, and a lot came out to boo him but both groups bought tickets” (75). He performed so well on the baseball field that the fans would lose sight of his color, and the stands were predominantly white so he was doing so well with a very unsupportive fan base. In the biography
To the average person, in the average American community, Jackie Robinson was just what the sports pages said he was, no more, no less. He was the first Negro to play baseball in the major leagues. Everybody knew that, but to see the real Jackie Robinson, you must de-emphasize him as a ball player and emphasize him as a civil rights leader. That part drops out, that which people forget. From his early army days, until well after his baseball days, Robinson had fought to achieve equality among whites and blacks. "Jackie acted out the philosophy of nonviolence of Martin Luther King Jr., before the future civil rights leader had thought of applying it to the problem of segregation in America"(Weidhorn 93). Robinson was an avid
African-American people aren’t the only people that were changed when Jackie Robinson put himself out there to make a change in discrimination. Jackie Robinson inspired many people to be on his side to fight against
Jackie Robinson: athlete, social activist, hero. These are just some of the words people use to describe Jackie. Robinson was the first person to break the color barrier in Major League Baseball, at the time officially designated a white man’s sport. The blacks and whites played in separate leagues but Branch Rickey, vice president of the Brooklyn Dodgers, wanted to integrate Major League Baseball. At this time in the 1940s the Unites States was still segregated and the Jim Crow Laws still reigned heavily in the south. Integration didn’t start until 1948 when Truman signed Executive Order 9981 which integrated the military. This didn’t occur until after Robinson took the field as the first African-American to play in the major leagues.
Jackie Robinson “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives”. This was quoted by Jackie Roosevelt Robinson. By this quote, he meant that your main goal in life should be focused on how your life could affect and impact other people’s lives. This was a quote that he truly defined. Jackie Robinson was an important and influential figure in history that had a positive impact in the world because he was able to breakthrough racial boundaries and follow his dreams.
On https://www.biography.com/people/jackie-robinson-9460813 it says when Jackie retired and became very active in business. This means that even off the field Jackie Robinson was very influential in getting all races equal rights. Since Jackie Robinson went into business after his baseball career he opened many doors for all races in
“A life is not important except in the impact it has on others”(Robinson). This is the standpoint Jackie Robinson had on life being a black person during his time period. He was a strong and courageous man despite the hardships that were set in his lifetime. He was faced with poverty, low income, and racial threats, but was granted with the gift of being a great athlete. Jackie Robinson being the first black MLB player had a great affect on American history because he helped boost morale, pushed toward civil rights, and integrated blacks into white sports.
Jackie Robinson was a very important man to American history because he was the first black major league baseball player. Some might think it was easy for Jackie Robinson, but it was quite the opposite. He received stacks of hate mail, threats to his family, and even some of his own teammates didn’t accept him, but he didn’t stop trying. There were some good things that came with this though, black people supported him with total loyalty and there were many kids and some adults that didn’t
There are many heroes who have to overcome challenges. One that sticks out to me is, Jackie Robinson. Jackie Robinson encounters many challenges. Just like the Greek hero Odysseus. A difficult challenge that Jackie Robinson has to overcome is “racism”.
The Civil Rights Movement was a very important event in the African-American’s push for equality. Many major events happened throughout the movement that involved violence, criticism, and racism towards the blacks. African-American’s were being treated extremely unfairly and unequal to white people, almost like they were not human. Many individuals had a huge impact on this movement such as Martin Luther King Jr., Jackie Robinson, and Emmit Till. The Civil Rights Movement was a very influential period in American history that impacted millions of lives.
Thesis: Jackie Robinson changed baseball in America forever by breaking the color barrier, and striving for equality for African Americans in and out of the game of baseball.