The Role Of Jackie Roosevelt Robinson In The Civil Rights Movement

Jackie Robinson was one of the most historically well known people in the civil rights movement. So as the first man to integrate major league baseball, Jackie Robinson had a game changing impact on the way the game was played. Having the courage to fight for what is right, Jackie broke the imaginary color barrier that has covered major league baseball for years. Through his resiliency and tenaciousness in the face of seemingly unconquerable odds, Jackie Robinson set the course for African Americans to continue the expansion for equality and true freedom while he was becoming one of the greatest Major League baseball players in history.

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

The legacy of Jackie Robinson goes beyond the April 15, 1947 afternoon at Ebbets Field, when the Brooklyn Dodger infielder became the first black in the 20th century to play baseball in the major leagues. He changed the sport, and he changed the attitude of a lot of people in this country, Jackie Robinson fought for all the people that were fortunate, a lot of them are, especially the minority guys, to be able to play in the major leagues and the impact on the people of color today.

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

Before 1947, Major League Baseball had never had a black player, although there were Negro Leagues. Jackie Robinson broke that. It takes courage and dedication to chase after something you love. Jackie had that for the game of baseball. The Civil Rights Movement was occurring during the time Jackie enter the Major Leagues, so the times were tough for him. Jackie did more than just play baseball; he introduced a whole new way to play the game, with blacks and whites. He did this by breaking the color barrier and introducing blacks into the Major Leagues, facing discrimination and showing his true passion for the game, and showing that he was looking to help all African-Americans in the civil rights movement.

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 is significant to America for being the first African American pro baseball player, breaking color barriers in Major League Baseball changing the game for more than fifty years. Jackie Robinson well known for his baseball career, but better known for breaking color barriers in a nation watched sport. Robinson was born and raised in Cairo, Georgia in 1919 in a family of five with his mother Mallie Robinson raising them on her own . Having to be raised in a neighborhood where they were the only black family, causing them to be raised where they encountered a lot of prejudice experiences. Strengthening the bond of his family over all the prejudice encounters.

Changing History On and Off the Field Jackie Robinson had many contributions to the advancement of the Civil Rights Movement. He changed history by becoming the first ever African American baseball player. He played for the Kansas City Monarchs, but was drafted by the LA Dodgers after one year with the Monarchs. Which eventually lead to many others seeing the baseball world should not be just white men. With his strength, courage, and determination, he showed the world nothing was going to stop him from succeeding.

“A life is not important except for the impact it has on other lives,” Jackie Robinson. Before Martin Luther King Jr., the Civil Rights Movement, Rosa Parks, and The Voting Rights Act of 1965, there was Jackie Robinson. Jackie is one of the most important men in history inside and outside of baseball. "What he's responsible for ... he deserves more, in my opinion, than what he has already, I think Jackie is entitled to and should have a national holiday for what he did to make things right in this world. Especially for black people,” said Don Newcombe, former Dodgers pitcher and Robinson’s teammate. (CBS Sports, Robinson's influence,) So how exactly did Jackie Robinson change racial integration in baseball today?

The Civil Rights movement of the 60’s had strings attached in every aspect of life, from Martin Luther King Jr. who was a reverend who reached from the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi; to Roy Wilkins, former leader of the NAACP and political activist: to Rosa Parks, who just wanted to sit on the bus undisturbed and equally; to Jackie Robinson, who was the first African American to play in major league (white) baseball, consequently breaking barriers and opening opportunity for those who came after him. To suggest that any of the men and women amongst those who marched and spoke with leaders such as the icons listed were not considered instrumental in the Civil Rights movement throughout the 60’s in the U.S. is ludacris.

With the same idea as Martin Luther King Jr., he worked hard to stay non-violent and to “turn the cheek” to the many threats and racial slurs he received throughout his time in the Major League. He was the target of many cold-hearted fans, and even some of the players on his own team. He was already born a leader, but these things fueled his fire even more. 5 years after he began playing in the MLB, he testified against discrimination before the House of Un-American Activities Committee and called out the Yankees for not yet breaking the color barrier. Along with that, he also served as a leader on the board of the NAACP until 1967.(www.NAACP.org) There, he made speeches that inspired people to get on board and to fight for their rights and for changes. He said, “Certainly if such revolutionary change can be brought about in baseball, it can be brought about in education, in transportation, and in any other area of American life. (Robinson) He believed that change was just around the corner, and all it needed was a little push. Jackie was a firm believer in his ideas and that is why he is such an important figure in our

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

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

Jackie was in love with sports and was quite good at the ones he played. Jackie was a star basketball player the best football player on his team and even was an olympic broad jumper. Jackie even lettered in 2 sports, but baseball, he started playing for a farm team named the montreal royals. After about 2 months jackie was recognized for his talent, and branch rickey (the president of the brooklyn dodgers) didn’t agree with segregation and wanted to give robinson a chance, later after watching jackie he agreed to sign jackie robinson to the brooklyn dodgers in 1947. He was also named rookie of the year and national league MVP in the same year and a world series champ in 1955. He inspired people to be involved by proving that blacks can do