How Did Jackie Robinson Break The Color Barrier

Not only was Robinson a legendary hero, but he also became a vocal champion as well for all African-American athletes, and civil rights. Before the House Un-American Activities Committee, he testified on discrimination in July of 1949. After calling out the Yankees for being a racist organization for not breaking the color barrier for five years after playing with the Dodgers. (“Jackie Robinson”).

Robinson broke the color barrier, and the challenges, and his life helped him achieve his goal. Robinson finally broke the color barrier and made history in professional baseball forever. Jackie Robinson had some major challenges he had to overcome. Like players not wanting to play with him. Jackie had an amazing life and made a very big impact on the world. If it weren't for Robinsons motivation and challenges he overcame but he still achieved his goal as breaking the color

Brave people are not afraid of anything, and Jackie Robinson was one of the bravest persons to walk on this earth. He was the first African American player to play in a all white league: the MLB. He broke the color barrier for baseball. Jackie played many sports when he was younger, and that is what started his career.

“A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.” -Jackie Robinson. Jackie lived up to his own quote by impacting so many lives. He was the first black professional baseball player, the man who handled racism with dignity and courage, and the man who paved the way for other black athletes that came after. He was the one, chosen out of thousands, because of his courage and skill. Jackie Robinson was the most influential athlete to ever play because of how he helped inspire a race and change the views of the nation.

Jackie Robinson overcame many struggles in life such as being included in the civil rights movement, facing discrimination, and he achieved being the first black man in major league baseball. He was born on January 31, 1919 in Cairo, Georgia on Hadley Ferry Road. It is a blue-collar town of about 10,000 people. Jackie Robinson became the first black player in the major leagues with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Even though he achieved this major goal he still had trouble getting there. He and his siblings were raised by his single mother. Jackie attended Muir High School and Pasadena Junior College. He was a great athlete and played many sports. He played football, basketball, track, and of course baseball. He left school in 1941, worked as an athletic director and played semiprofessional football for the Honolulu Bears before being drafted to the Army in 1942. While he was in the army he became close friends with Joe Louis. The heavyweight used his popularity to protest about the delayed entry of black soldiers. Two years later he got the honor to be second lieutenant in 1943. After an accident where he refused to sit in the back of an unsegregated bus, military police arrested Robinson. A duty officer requested this and then later he requested that Jackie should be court martialed. Since this happened Jackie was not allowed to be deployed overseas to the World War II. He never saw combat during the war. Jackie left the Army with an honorable discharge.

“Life is not a spectator sport. If you’re going to spend your whole life in the grandstand just watching what goes on, in my opinion you’re wasting your life" (“Jackie Robinson.” Quotes). Jackie Robinson a man challenged with racial prejudices throughout his entire life, certainly lived his life by this motto. On April 15, 1947, he played first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers, erasing the color barrier that had stood in major league baseball for nearly 60 years (Ott). The last time an African-American had played major league baseball was Moses Fleetwood Walker in 1889, who played for the Toledo Blue Stockings ("Jackie Robinson," Wikipedia). Jackie’s career, however, wasn’t a glorious return of African Americans in the major leagues, it was characterized

On January 31, 1919, Jak Roosevelt Jackie Robinson was born into a family of sharecroppers on a plantation and Cairo, Georgia. 28 years later he cemented his place in history when he broke the color barrier and became the first African-American to compete in major league baseball in the modern era

Barriers. Barriers are obstacles that people face everyday. A barrier could be anything. For an example, friends and family, beliefs, sickness, disabilities, or anything.

Yes, he broke the color barrier in baseball, but that was just a very small thing, looking at the bigger picture. What Jackie Robinson did inspired other African - Americans to play in other professional sports leagues, such as the NBA or the NFL. It was just more than for Jackie himself, it was for the larger community. He led the way in changing sports to the way we know them now. If it wasn’t for his courageous act, we might not know sports the way they are played now. Just stepping foot onto the field that game, Jackie changed professional sports. No matter what he did, people will always remember Jackie Robinson for what he did for sports. Jackie Robinson will always be a legend in the game. He will rank among the all - time greats, like Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth, etc. “Ruth changed the way baseball was played; Jackie Robinson changed the way Americans thought” (Swaine 1). Referring to the quote by Mr. Robert Swaine, Jackie not only changed the game, but he did in fact change the way Americans thought. Nobody ever thought, back in those days, they would ever see an African - American play with white people. The more and more Jackie displayed control and didn’t react to all the racism he was facing, that’s when people started taking him seriously and starting to think that despite his skin color, or race, that he is a good ball player and we should give him a chance.

Although Jackie Robinson was not the best African-American baseball player of his time, his attitude and ability to handle racist harassment led the way for the rest of his race to play Major League Baseball, amongst other sports. Being accepted into professional sports also helped African-Americans become more easily accepted into other aspects of life. Jackie's impact in the world for the black population is enormous.