Here comes Jackie Robinson, dashing towards home base going as fast as he can. The dirt is flying up behind him. Bam! He slides into home plate, with a cloud of dirt and the catcher around him. Here comes the umpire, and he screams safe. The crowd goes wild cheering for him. This is what Brooklyn Dodger fans were used to hearing whenever Jackie Robinson was on base. Sadly though, that is not the only thing that he would be hearing. On a daily basis not just at the field but anywhere Jackie would go he would hear the sounds of what present people now a days call haters. Jackie knew that if he were to show any sort of weakness, that what he was doing would be all for nothing. By doing what he has done, Jackie was able to change sports forever by facing different hardships along with discrimination throughout his years playing baseball.
“Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born on January 31, 1919 in Cairo, Georgia. Jackie had 4 brothers and sisters and he was the youngest of them all Jackie like most African-Americans was poor as a young boy and he was raised by his mother only. He attended John Muir High School and Pasadena Junior College, where he was an excellent athlete and played four sports: football, basketball, track, and baseball. He was named the region's Most Valuable Player in baseball in 1938. Jackie’s older brother was in the Olympics for the 200 meter dash and finished in 2nd place just behind Jesse Owens. Jackie would have graduated from UCLA if he would have not run into financial problems his last year, which forced him to leave.”(Jackie Robinson Biography).
Racial discrimination to African-Americans could be seen everywhere throughout the United States. “Public schools were segregated by law in the South and by custom an...
... middle of paper ...
...e. He must have dealt with more things in his sort life time then most do in their lifetime. Thanks to all of Jack’s hard work and effort he was able to change not just America, but the whole world around him because he never gave up on what he believed in and he also fought to do what he thought was right. And now thanks to him he has helped shaped the world of sports into a great society where everybody in equal to each other and no one person is different.
Works Cited
History, U.S. U.S. History. n.d. 28 April 2014 .
Jackie Robinson Biography. 2014. 3 May 2014 .
National Archives. 2014. 3 May 2014 .
Young, Geisler. Baseball Almanac. 2014. 3 May 2014 .
Jackie Robinson was born on January 31, 1919 in Georgia. On this day, a legend arrived. Jackie was raised by his mother, and his mother alone. His father left before Jackie was born, and he didn’t remember one thing about him. Jackie had many siblings, brothers and sisters. Jackie had an older brother named Matthew, who was also very athletic. Jackie’s mother tried the best she could to raise these boys right, and teach them that no matter what the whites called them...they were special.
Jack Roosevelt Johnson was born in the very segregated south in Cairo, Georgia around 1919. Jackie grew up loving baseball and knew that is what he wanted to do. About two decades before Jackie was born the MLB was split between white and Negro leagues. Jackie being an African-American, of course played for the Negro Leagues. He strived in this sport. He lead the Negro League with most stolen bases and had a great batting average. Both his statistics and love for the game brought the name Jackie Robinson to the attention of the Brooklyn Dodger's manager Branch Rickey.
“In 1946, there were sixteen Major League Baseball teams, with a total of 400 players on their rosters, every one of the players was white. But when opening day came in 1947, that number dropped to 399, and one man stood apart. (42 2:30)” Jack Roosevelt “Jackie” Robinson made his Major League Baseball debut on April 15, 1947, as a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Making Jackie Robinson the first African-American to play Major League Baseball (MLB). Jackie’s transition from the Negro Leagues to MLB was not an easy one. As a player, he transitioned very well, but it was Robinson’s teammates, Dodgers fans, the opposing teams and their fans that tested Jackie every chance they got, some hotels even prohibited the Dodgers to stay in their establishments
Boom! This sound was very common coming off the bat of Jackie Robinson when he was on the baseball field, but it had a resounding echo on society and especially those fighting for the rights of blacks in the United States. While Jackie Robinson was an incredible player on the field, his more significant impacts were actually on areas of society other than baseball. Until 1947, when Robinson signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers and manager Branch Rickey, no other African American had ever played in Major League baseball. This was huge news throughout the United States, and Robinson was voted America’s second most popular personality, only behind Bing Crosby (Dorinson, 2012, p. 55). Until this point, African Americans had been dealing with the constraints of the Jim Crow laws, which enforced segregation of African Americans from whites. However, Robinson breaking the color barrier in a previously completely white sport turned some heads and made people rethink the situation of blacks in American society. Rubenstein (2003) attributed that “one of baseball’s most important roles has been to
Jackie Robinson changed the way baseball is looked at by Americans. Also, he broke a huge barrier in American History. Robinson helped get rid of segregation. He also, is down as one on of the most respected men in baseball history. Not only a wonderful ball player, but also a wonderful man who went through so much and helped create a path for current and future African American baseball players.
First, Jackie was an all-around athlete. "First person in the school's history to letter in four sorts track,baseball,football and basketball." (Maddux and Zito 480) This example states that Jackie had a great career. Second, Jackie never had a father figure. "Jackie's father abandoned the family when Jackie was an infant." (Maddux and Zito 480) This evidence implies that Robinson didn’t have a father so he had an even more different life. Finally, Jackie Robinson the new player award from either league. "Jackie became the first rookie of the year, not just for the National League (NL), but for all of baseball." (Maddux and Zito 481) This demonstrates that Robinson truly did have an amazing and great carrier as a baseball player. Jackie Robinson had an amazing life and had a lot of achievements.
Jackie Robinson, born Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born on January 31, 1919 in Cairo, Georgia. He was the youngest of five children and was raised by his single-handedly mother Mallie Robinson in poverty. He went to John Muir High School and Pasadena Junior College, were he excelled in football, basketball, track, and baseball. Jackie Robinson won the regions Most Valuable Player in baseball in 1938. Jackie was inspired by his older brother Matthew Robinson to push for his goals, talents and love for sports. Jackie finished his education at the University of California, Los Angeles. He was the first student in the university to receive varsity letters in four sports. In 1941, Robinson had to leave UCLA because of financial problems just around graduation time. He ended up moving to Honolulu, Hawaii and played football for the Honolulu bears, but that didn’t last long because the United States entered World War II. Robinson served as a second lieutenant in the United States Army from 1942 to 1944, but was honorably discharged because; he refused to sit in the back of a segregated bus during boot camp in 1944.
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.
he soared in the game of baseball, and is in the hall of fame. His legacy lives on in many Americans hearts and in baseball. A strong man on and off the field. A courageous man to break down the color barrier, and to continue it after his days in sports were over. Fearless in a way he would never give up on baseball or his passion to see African Americans to succeed, in a time where blacks were pushed from away from prosperity and success. The owner of the dodgers Branch Rickey, also contributed to the movement. Without him much of how we see the history, and baseball today might not be the same. He chose Jackie and started an uprising in blacks in baseball. The name Jackie Robinson won’t be soon forgotten, and he marks a big change to American history. Fighting for the game of baseball, and fighting for what he believed
His middle name was chosen after Teddy Roosevelt because of his public opposition to racism. He had four brothers and sisters (Rampersad 15). As an infant Jackie Robinson’s father left him and his brothers and sisters. He would later try and return but Mallie, Jackie’s mother, had already moved on and wanted nothing to do with him. Mallie was eager to leave things behind so she moved. Robinson and his family moved to Pasadena, California (Rampersad 18). After two years she was able to collect enough money to move to a new house on Pepper Street which was an all-white neighborhood. Later on in his life Robinson went to The University of California, Los Angeles (Johnson 480). While at UCLA Robinson became the first person to letter in four different sports. It was also at UCLA where he met Rachel Isun, who would play a major role in his life. In 1941
Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born in Cairo, Georgia in 1919 to a family of sharecroppers. He attended UCLA where he became the first athlete to receive varsity letters in 4 sports; baseball, basketball, football, and track. Jackie did not have enough money to afford college and was forced to drop out. He then decided to enlist in the U.S. Army. With very swift progress, after only two years Jackie earned the rank of lieutenant. Jackie’s career in the army was cut short when he was court-martialed in relation of objections to racial discrimination. No scene was made and Jackie received an honorable discharge when he decided to resign from the army. He took a stand when he was in the army and made changes against racial discrimination that stood until racial discrimination completely ended. Jackie stood up for what was right and was not afraid to voice his opinion. Jackie said, “A life is not important, except in the impact it has on other lives.” Jackie never knew what was coming when he gets recognized by Branch Rickey of the Brooklyn Dodgers.
While playing professional baseball, Robinson was wildly given disadvantages. “He risked sanity and safety to give history the last full measure of his strength, nerve, and perseverance.” (Simon, 10). The physical brutalities thrown at Robinson would be enough for an average man to quite, giving into the pressures of what seemed like the whole world, but certainly not Jackie. “Some players were physically violent -- he once received a 7-inch gash in his leg from an opponent who spiked him with his cleats -- while others hurled verbal racial insults at him and his teammates.” (McBirney, 6). Even his teammates were attacked. However, this was after they attacked him themselves, “Initially shunned by fans and even his own teammates, the infielder focused, instead, on being the best in the game,” (Jackie Robinson - Mini Bio, 00:00:33 - 00:00:40). Standing strong, Jackie Robinson seemed almost unfazed by the attacks bolted towards him, even death threats. “Local police had culled the stadium’s mail to show him an assortment of explicit and persuasive death threats,” (Simon, 3). Outstanding poise in the midst of attacks and brutality, Jackie Robinson focused on his top two important things: baseball and equality for
Jack “Jackie” Roosevelt Robinson was born January 31, 1919 in Cairo Georgia. There he lived with his family in dire poverty on a sharecropper’s farm. Abandoned by his father, at age one, his mother moved their family to Pasadena, California; there she raised Robinson and his four siblings all by herself. Jack became a star athlete in high school excelling in football, basketball, track, and his weakest sport baseball. Jack was not the only athlete in his family. His brother Mack, won a silver medal in the 1936 Berlin Olympics for the 200 meter dash finishing second to Jesse Owens. When his brother returned the only job he could get was sweeping the streets. Robinson grew to hate Pasadena, according to Ray Bartlett, a friend he would later meet at UCLA. (Jerome 71) While Mallie, Jack’s mom, struggled to raise her family alone, she instilled the values in Robinson that made him fight not just for himself, but for others. (Berkow A16)
There once was a legend and he went by the name of Jackie Roosevelt Robinson. “Jackie was born on January 31, 1919. Jackie Robinson was the first African American to play major league baseball. Jackie Robinson.” (“Jackie Robinson.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 14 Aug. 2017, Accessed 22 Sept. 2017 www.biography.com/people/jackie-robinson-9460813) Baseball isn’t the only thing Jackie accomplished throughout his life, for instance he went to college, had kids and did much more. But for Jackie it was harder because he had racial slurs thrown at him. Despite all of the discrimination and racism about Jackie Robinson and his family, he got passed it and became a star. Jackie was an outsider, he was the first African American to play Major league baseball, he used the haters to become an amazing ball player and a hero to other African Americans.
Jackie Robinson realized that he was an athlete at a young age. His motivation was his older brother Mathew Robinson. Jackie’s older brother Mathew was in the 1936 Olympics...