The Integration of African Americans and Caucasians

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Dr. Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, and Rosa are the names famously and commonly associated with the integration of the African Americans and Caucasians. Even though they were all great figures, Jackie Robinson played an important role, also. He helped pave a way for integration. Jackie Robinson’s determination and fight lead him to become one of the greatest iconic figures of mankind with highlights of integrity and excellence. Before Jackie Robinson became the legend and civil rights difference maker that he is known as today, he lived through hardship like other African Americans during his time.

On January 31, 1919, Mallie Robinson gave birth to Jackie Roosevelt Robinson in a small rural area, Cairo, Georgia. He was born on a farm because his parents were sharecroppers and was the youngest of five children. Not long after he was born, Jackie and his family relocated to Pasadena, CA. His mother struggled to raise him and his siblings after Jackie’s father abandoned the family in 1920. She had to work various jobs to support him. Jackie and his family were the only African Americans on their block, and because of the prejudice that they always encountered, their bond as a family grew strong. Jackie was limited in sports as a child because he was excluded from recreational activities as a youth due to the color of his skin.

The young Jackie Robinson began to build his legacy as a student athlete at John Muir High School. Mack, Jackie’s brother, recognized his athletic talents and inspired Jackie to pursue his interest and fascination in sports. Jackie Robinson lettered in four sports: basketball, football, track, and baseball. Also, he was a member of the tennis team, and he won a championship. During his tenure in high schoo...

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...ted, the trail-blazing that he did, the barriers that he broke down did not enter into the decision. He was rated and examined solely as a freshman player in the big leagues -- on the basis of his hitting, his running, his defensive play, his team value (Corcoran)."

Works Cited

Chamberlain, Gaius. "Jackie Robinson." 8 December 2011. Great Black Heros. 19 March 2014.

Corcoran, Cliff. "Inside Baseball." Sports Illustrated 15 Apr. 2013. Article. 20 Mar. 2014.

Foundation, The Jackie Robinson. The Jackie Robinson Foundation. 2011. 19 March 2014.

Henry, Patrick. "Jackie Robinson: Athlete And American Par Excellence." Virginia Quarterly Review 73.2 (1997): 189-204. Academic Search Premier. 1 Feb. 2014.

Knee, Stuart. "Jim Crow Strikes Out: Branch Rickey And The Struggle For Integration In American Baseball." 2003. 71-87. Academic Search Premier. 1 Feb. 2014.

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