Jackie Robinson Thesis

Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born January 31, 1919. He was born in Cairo, Georgia and was the youngest of five children. He had a grandfather that was a slave, Jackie’s dad was a sharecropper and Mallie, Jackie’s mother, was a maid. His dad ran away from the family when Jackie was only an infant.

Jackie Robinson was an African-American who played for a “Negro League” for a team call the Kansas City Monarchs. Their team colors being white with thin red stripes going vertically down the uniform. But a manager from the MLB’s jaw dropped to the floor when he saw how great of a player Jackie was, and decided to do something that nobody ever thought would happen. “I had never seen a ball player,” stated the Dodgers manager. “quite like Jackie Robinson.” He drafted Jackie Robinson in to the MLB for a team called the Brooklyn Dodgers, but just because something good happens, doesn’t mean that there will a few obstacles along the way.

The game of baseball evolved immensely during the 1900’s. There were new rules and rule changes, new teams in new states, and then there was Jackie Robinson. Jackie Robinson was a true legend from the day he was born in 1919. Baseball had it all in the first half of the 1900’s, fans filled the stadiums day after day, even during the war times. There was a big-name player on almost every team, children and adults admired these professional baseball players. The only thing professional baseball didn’t have during these times were African American players. Learning about the hardships that he had to overcome as a young boy, and the accomplishments he made from his college days at UCLA, to becoming the first African American professional baseball player, Jackie made it known that he was an American hero.

After UCLA, Jackie was an athletic direct for a few months for the National Youth Administration in Atascadero, California. Robinson’s dream of playing professional sports pushed him to go to Hawaii in 1941 to join a semipro, racially integrated football team. They were called the Honolulu Bears. He worked as a construction worker for the during the week. On the weekends, he was a member of the team. He returned after the short football season to the United States, right after

Civil rights was an important American issue through the late 40s through the 60s. During this time period Baseball was “America’s Pastime, “and a major social get together for white Americans. However in 1947 both of these event were combined when the Brooklyn Dodgers gave Jackie Robinson a chance to play professional baseball. Jackie Robinson is the target of my biography. Robinson not only was the first African American baseball player, but he also had a hall of fame career, and eventually had his number retired by all of Major League Baseball. It is important to know about him because he helped accelerate the civil rights movement in America. Although his entrance was brutal with the abuse he received and the obscenities that were yelled at him. He helped the transition to not only make African Americans accepted in professional sports, but also to help the acceptance of African Americans in the civil rights movement.

As Rickey told Jackie what he was looking for in a black ballplayer that was strong enough not to fight back against the abuse and discrimination. Jackie signed the contract on October 23, 1945, and was sent to the Brooklyn Dodgers minor league team, the Montreal Royals.(Rampersad, 135). When Robinson and the Royals arrived to Florida for spring training, Jackie got a taste of racism. Jackie was not allowed to sleep at the hotel where his fellow teammates were because of the racial segregating, Jim Crow laws.(Harnischfeger, Corey). Robinson was feeling the pressure of racial discrimination but with the help of Rachel he continued to pursue to the MLB. On April 18th, 1946, Robinson made his long awaited minor league debut. He ended up complying 4 hit out of 5 at bats with one homerun. At the end of the season, Jackie won the most valuable player award. (Rampersad, 136-155). Before the start of the 1947 season, Robinson was called up to the MLB’s Brooklyn Dodgers. Then On April 15, 1947, Robinson broke baseball's color barrier in front of 26 thousand plus people, with many of the attendees being African Americans. Jackie Robinson being called up to the MLB brought some racial tension. Jackie was the subject of death threats from fans and even players, including some teammates, not wanting to play on the same field as him.(Tygiel, 125). When some of Jackie’s

In the biography Jackie Robinson and the American Dilemma by John R. M. Wilson, it tells the story of racial injustice done after world war II and explains how Jackie Robinson was pioneer of better race relations in the United States. The obstacles Jackie Robinson overcame were amazing, he had the responsibility to convert the institutions, customs, and attitudes that had defined race relations in the United States. Seldom has history ever placed so much of a strain on one person. I am addressing the importance of Jackie Robinson’s trials and triumphs to American racial dynamics in the post war period to show how Robinson was a prominent figure in the civil rights movement and brought baseball fans together regardless of race.

Jackie Roosevelt Robinson (January 31, 1919-October 24, 1972) was the first black athlete to break the color barrier. He stepped out to play Major League Baseball in the 20th century he took the field for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. Throughout his long career, Robinson became one of the game's most talented and exciting players, and he also had a .311 batting average. He was also a vocal civil rights activist.

In 1946 he had his first game against the Royals. Breaking the color barrier (1947) The following year, six days before the start of the 1947 season, the Dodgers called Robinson up to the major leagues. Within his first two years he showed great courage without fighting back, also in his first year he became Rookie of the Year. In the year of 1949 he became MVP. In 1957 he retired from baseball, and in 1962 he got into the Baseball Hall of Fame. In 1997 he integrated baseball, and his number, 42, was retired.

Jackie Robinson joined the brooklyn Dodgers in 1947 breaking through racial barriers. That year, he was also named Rookie

Jackie significantly helped his team by scoring 12 home runs in his first season, getting his team the National League Pennant, and helping to get them to the World Series. Although many people disliked him, he believed the only way to block them out was to excel. And he did! He ended the season with 12 home runs, 29 stolen bases, and a batting average of .342 . He was also selected rookie of the year in 1947. Recently, he won most valuable player in the League.

They were out on their honeymoon when Robinson arrived at Daytona Beach only to find himself forbidden to enter the whites-only Riviera Seaside Motel where his team mates were located at. While this wasn’t a big deal because Robinson’s teammates already didn’t care for him. The attention he drew to his teammates made them look bad by the rest of the MLB community. His presence also cut out a big part of their playing time. Many communities canceled exhibition games because of the prohibited race-mixing law (“Discovering Multicultural Americans”). The seriousness of this law was shown off when Robinson was playing in Stanford. When Robinson was walking back to the dugout after he had scored, a sheriff removed him from the game in handcuffs (“Integrating Baseball”). This wasn’t the worst of torment he received though. Robinson faced attacks from opponents who when sliding, faced their spikey cleats towards his shins and face. Pitchers would throw balls purposely at him, and he would constantly be called racial slurs. But doing what he was told by Rickey, Robinson did not complain or lose his cool. Despite all of this going on, he was named the league’s most valuable

Jackie Roosevelt Robinson was born on January 31st 1919. In 1947, at the age of 28, Jackie became the first African American to break the “color line” of Major League Baseball when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers. During his tenure with the Dodgers, Jackie was not simply an average player. Among various other accolades, Mr. Robinson was a starter on six World Series teams as well as being named the National League Rookie of The Year in 1947. His advantageous career was then capped in 1962 when he was inducted in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame.1 Contrary to popular belief, Jackie's perseverance in implementing racial integration extended beyond his career in Major League Baseball. During the Sixties Jackie Robinson was a

After his discharge from the Army in 1944, Robinson began to play baseball professionally. At the time, the sport was segregated, and African-Americans and whites played in separate leagues. Robinson began playing in the Negro Leagues, but he was soon chosen by Branch Rickey, president of the Brooklyn Dodgers, to help integrate major league baseball. He joined the all-white Montreal Royals, a farm team for the Brooklyn Dodgers, in 1946. Robinson later moved to Florida to begin spring training with the Royals.

Robinson's play caught the eye of Dodgers president/general manager Branch Rickey, who wanted to integrate baseball. After playing in the minor leagues for a year, Robinson was called up in 1947 and played his first MLB game on April 15.