Breaking Down Doors

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Breaking Down Doors
No single person opened as many doors as Jackie Robinson. The greatest athletes of all time would have never been anything if it were not for his journey. Jackie broke the color barrier in professional sports, up until the time that he played in there were only white males were playing professionally. If it is even possible, try and imagine a world with no Michael Jordan, no Barry Sanders, or no Barry Bonds. They were all arguably the greatest in their respective sports, if not for the one and only Jackie Robinson they would have been working a regular minimum wage paying nine to five job.
Furthermore, this definitely was no easy road traveled. Even though this is such a touching story and sounds so perfect, it was not. Jackie Robinson and his family faced a lot of adversity in this time of change. Now a day, we are all so used to a majority of professional athletes being African American. In the early 1940’s it was the total opposite as it was frowned upon by most people to have a black person on any team. Segregation was at an all time him during this time. With Robinson finally breaking the barrier, it ultimately helped put an end to segregation as a whole.
I have many friends that I have made through sports that are African American, Hispanic, or other kinds of races. The fact that I am able to play a sport and compete with people from different backgrounds and it has no affect on our relationship is due in large part to Jackie. Sports are a thing that people do worldwide. Sports help you in life; this situation is a prime example of how someone can do something just as good as any one no matter their race, religion, faith, etc.
Indeed, the hardships Robinson and his family faced were like no other. ...

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... would be with his Dodgers teammate Pee Wee Reese defended Robinson against violent and nasty racial slurs during his rookie season” (2012). Reese famously put his arm around him and said, “You can hate a man for many reasons. Color is not one of them” (Obias, 2012). Even though Jackie Robinson faced a difficult road throughout his life, he ultimately succeeded in the end. He is known world-wide for being the first African American baseball player. Jackie Robinson’s determination is why all the doors have been opened for African American athletes and people in today’s society.

Works Cited

Jackie Robinson - The Official Site. (2011). Jackie Robinson - The Official Site. Retrieved from http://www.jackierobinson.com/
Obias, R. (2012). 42 Facts About Jackie Robinson. Mental Floss. Retrieved from http://mentalfloss.com/article/50059/42-facts-about-jackie-robinson

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