The Issue, Racism And Segregation

Throughout his professional career, Jackie Robinson, received criticism for being the first “black” player to play the game. Not only did Jackie Robinson manage to live up to the criticism, he also changed the face of America’s greatest past time forever. With his entrance into the MLB he opened the path for great black players like Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, Willie Mays, and Ozzie Smith just to name a few. In crossing the color-barrier in baseball Robinson not only strived as a great player on the field, but also a inspiration to the black community of the field with his humility, and willingness to move forward in a time where blacks were not considered “equal”.

Jackie Robinson grew up in a single parent household after his dad left him at only one year old in 1920 in Cairo, Georgia where his family lived on a share plot and gained there menial income that way (Rampersad, 2019-2020). Jackie’s difficulties included his poverty, racial identity in a segregated nation, and the hatred that he witnessed in the world of sports because of the color of his skin. In the 1950’s, the demographic of the US was approximately 10% Black oppose to 89% white per the census bureau (Census, n.d.). Jackie was an African-American, Methodist, poverty stricken, single parent raised, nearly blind man with diabetes living in the 1900’s. Opposite to him, I was raised by two parents, I am a Caucasian, born in the middle class,

Born on January 31, 1919 Jack Roosevelt Robinson was the youngest of five children. His father left the family before Jackie turned one and shortly after his mom moved the family from Georgia to California in search of work (Contemporary Black Biography). Segregation was still present in California, but was less harsh than in the south. To get away from the problems and racial prejudice, Jackie turned to sports. He was an exceptional athlete excelling in football, baseball, basketball, and track in both high school and college. He played four sports for the University of California Los Angeles (commonly known as UCLA). He was mostly a football and basketball star and had no intentions of playing Major League baseball due to the fact that it was all white. Jackie had always wanted to become a social worker to help underprivileged boys and hoped that travelling the nation for sports would expose him to a job in that field

Baseball has always been more than just a sport to the American people. For many, it is a way of life, teaching not just brute skills but life lessons and morals. In the wake of World War I, racism and bigotry abounded in the United States. Even though the integration of schools had recently been instated, Jim Crow laws severely limited the activity of African Americans in society, resulting in baseball teams being limited to whites. Jackie Robinson made an important step in gaining rights for African Americans when he broke the color barrier of baseball in 1947. He did this by making civil rights his ambition even before the protests began (Coombs 117). Jackie Robinson’s fame as a baseball player and determination to defeat adversity

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

Baseball has been called “America 's Pastime” for years because people have played baseball for years and it is one of the first things fathers teach their sons. Family’s go to ballparks all over the nation to watch baseball at all levels of play from T-ball through the Major League of Baseball (MLB). Throughout the years there have been many great, loved, and cherished baseball players including Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Lou Gehrig, and Jackie Robinson. Jackie Robinson is on the top of the list of all time greats, not only because he was a great player, but because of all he accomplished and overcame through racism and how he helped

Jackie Robinson is most well known for breaking the color barrier in baseball. His number 42 is one of the most historically famous numbers for the all the people of color who are able to succeed and do great things because of the struggles he went through to open the door for others. But what is not always was is talked about is his successes on college at the UCLA in California. While most people know the great Jim Thorpe as one of the most overall great athletes throughout history, Jackie Robinson was also a great multi-sport athlete. Jackie was born in Cairo, Georgia on January 31, 1919 to a single mother with four older siblings.

Jackie was a phenomenal athlete for young kids to look up to. After the start of World War II he served in the military from 1942 to 1944. After the war he returned to his love for baseball, playing in the Black major leagues. He was chosen by Branch Rickey, vice president of the Brooklyn dodgers, to help integrate the Major Leagues. Rickey hated segregation just as much as Robinson and wanted to change things “Rickey had once seen a Black college player turned away from a hotel… Rickey never forgot seeing this player crying because he was denied a place to lay his weary head just because of the color of his skin” (Mackenzie). He was finally able to do something about segregation and help change baseball and the United States for the better. It wasn’t that all the teams were racist and didn’t want a black player but when the major league teams had an away game they would rent out the stadium to the black teams for them to play at. And the executives of teams didn’t want to loose the money that they were making off of the black teams. “League owners would lose significant rental revenue” (“Breaking”). He soon signed with the all-white Montreal Royals a farm team for the Dodgers. Robinson had an outstanding start with the Royals, “leading the International League with a .349 batting average and .985 fielding percentage” (Robinson). After Robinson’s outstanding year he was promoted to the Dodgers he played his first game on

Jackie Robinson was the first black man to ever play in an all white professional baseball league and he ended up becoming one of the greatest baseball players of all time. Jackie Robinson was born on January 31, 1919, in Cairo, Georgia. When Jackie was only six months old his father left him and his mother was left single with five children, Jackie being the youngest (Robinson 1,2). When Jackie was one his mother moved his family to Pasadena, California (Robinson 4). Jackie Robinson was tormented throughout his career for being African American yet he persevered through it breaking the color barrier in sports making him one of the most beloved baseball players of all time.

Many people are stuck behind the thought of of not being good enough or not having the courage to push through obstacles to get to where they want to be. One specific individual has proven to show moral courage and can teach others to never give up on what they believe in and push past obstacles to reach their goals. Fighting through all the people who told him he couldn’t, Jackie Robinson has proven to be one of the most influential men during a period of discrimination. Robinson was an amazing major league baseball player for the Brooklyn Dodgers. After his father had left his mother and his four other siblings, his family decided to move to Pasadena, California where they lived as the only black family in a white neighborhood (“Jackie Robinson”). They were often tormented and harassed, which helped to boost his determination and focus. He enrolled at the university of and became a four sport star athlete where his talent in baseball was discovered. Jackie Robinson has proven to be a

“A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives,” claimed Jackie Robinson. This is what he wanted to do in his life and what he wished people would follow this motto such as he did. He managed to change a whole community that didn’t let color mix, and treated his people as lesser being that weren't truly equal. To this day in present time we can see many african americans playing alongside caucasians in all sports and being equals. One cause and effect was when President Harry Truman issued Executive Order 9982 not to long after Jackie integrated into the MLB, to abolish discrimination between races in the armed forces. And now african americans play major roles in the sports industry, such as one famous african american baseball player Derek Jeter, if Jackie didn't step i to help break the color barrier we might not have people like Derek Jeter on MLB

“A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives,” said a great man named Jackie Robinson. ("Jackie Robinson." Baseball Hall of Fame. History.com, n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 2016.) Jackie Robinson was an African American who broke the color barrier in 1947. (web 2). Jackie Robinson was born in January 31, 1919 in Cairo, Georgia. (web 1). Jackie was the youngest out of 5 children, and raised by a single mother.(web 1). Later when he was forced to leave college, due to financial hardship, he moved to Honolulu, Hawaii to play semi-professional football which didn't last long because of WWII in America. (web 1). Branch Rickey was the president of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Rickey was the man who wanted to break the barrier, and to do so he

Jackie Robinson had a very challenging early life before baseball. Robinson was born on a plantation near Cairo, Georgia on January 31, 1919. He was the youngest of five and was raised in poverty by a single mother. In high school, he excelled in a variety of sports. Robinson received an athletic scholarship from UCLA and was the first to win letters in four different sports. He mainly played basketball, football, baseball and also ran track. Although, because of financial hardship, he sadly had to dropout of college and was drafted into the army. “Although he never saw combat during his time in the military, Robinson’s career was nonetheless noteworthy of hod refusal to yield his seat on a segregated bus during a training stint in Texas.” (“Jackie Robinson’s Role in Integrating Baseball” 1) However, he was arrested for refusing to sit

Jackie Roosevelt Robinson was a very important person in The Civil Rights Movement as he was the first African American man to play in Major League Baseball (MLB). Though Jackie was a star in football and baseball as a child he faced a lot of racism, people would cheer for him on the field but off it he was ridiculed and seen as worthless because of his skin color. Even as an adult in the Minor Leagues people threatened, and even threw things at him. Some teams didn’t show at games through shame of playing an African American. Through all of the racism Jackie stayed strong and ended up winning more rights for African Americans along with 137 home runs, 197 stolen bases, a .311 batting average, and a National League

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