Professional Sports: A Barrier Meant to be Broken
analytical Essay
1236 words
The breaking of the color barrier in professional sports was a turning point in history. It happened in 1947, when Jackie Robinson, an African-American athlete, began playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers under the watchful eye of their owner, Branch Rickey. The man who broke this barrier was a hero in his own right, changing the world of baseball as well as aiding the Civil Rights Movement. But this was not his only heroic accomplishment. Robinson was a star athlete as a child, at the University of California, Los Angeles, and in Major League Baseball, later being inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He was in the military and served the United States in World War II. Robinson heavily contributed to the Civil Rights movement, and was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. He was also, from all accounts, a tremendously loving and attentive father and husband. Jackie Robinson was a hero because of his rough upbringing, his outstanding talents, his military service, his participation in the Civil Rights Movement, his break into Major League Baseball, and his resilience as a player and a person. Jackie Robinson came from an upbringing that was far from privileged. He was born in the harsh world of the American south in the early twentieth century. Robinson’s parents were sharecroppers in a small town in Georgia. He came from a family of many children of whom he was the youngest. His father left the family when Robinson was a young boy, which caused the family to relocate to California. This caused the young man to become confused about where he was going early on. He joined a street gang as a young man, but was convinced by good friends and his brothers to aband... ... middle of paper ... ...atter. Robinson is an inspiration to me, and he makes me wonder what I am actually capable of. Maybe one day I could make a contribution to the field of writing similar to his on baseball and all professional sports. If one man can break the color barrier in professional sports at a time in which a near majority of the American population believed that people were inferior because of their skin color, what can I do? Works Cited “Jackie Robinson Biography." The Biography Channel website, 2011. 01 March 2011. Web. 7 February 2014. http://www.biography.com/people/jackie-robinson-9460813 “Jackie Robinson Quotes.” The Baseball Almanac website, 2000. Web. 7 February 2014. http://www.baseball-almanac.com/quotes/quojckr.shtml “Quotes by Jackie Robinson.” The Official Jackie Robinson Website, 2011. Web. 7 February 2014. http://www.jackierobinson.com/about/quotes.html
In this essay, the author
- Explains that jackie robinson broke the color barrier in professional sports in 1947, changing the world of baseball as well as aiding the civil rights movement. robinson was a hero because of his rough upbringing, outstanding talents, military service, and his resilience.
- Explains that jackie robinson came from an upbringing that was far from privileged. his parents were sharecroppers in a small town in georgia.
- Describes how robinson became a star athlete when he was attending high school. his outstanding talents garnered him attention from his community and various colleges.
- Explains that robinson served and was discharged honorably in world war ii, but an incident that took place on a bus allowed him to stand up to racism early on.
- Opines that jackie robinson is a hero because of his break into the major league from the negro leagues — no african-american baseball player had ever performed in the same league as white players.
- Explains that robinson was the only african-american in major league baseball. he inspired countless young baseball fans with his brave actions and humble, yet confident stride to the plate.
- Narrates how robinson was struck with a ball, kicked out of games for things he did not do, and given unfair calls. his outstanding playing and strong heart earned him the most valuable player award in 1949.
- Analyzes how robinson's celebrity proved to be useful in attracting attention to the cause of civil rights, as a symbol of racial equality.
- Concludes that jackie robinson is a hero partly because he showed the world that unbelievable things can in fact occur. robinson proved that people can do, write, or think anything they want.
- Cites the biography channel website and the baseball almanac website for jackie robinson quotes.
Related
- narrative
- analytical
- explanatory
- Jackie Robinsonnarrative essayJackie Robinson was an amazing baseball player during the 40’s and into the 50’s.through baseball he also became an early pioneer of the civil rights movement. His career has been filled with ups and downs but he never lost his focus throughout his life. In this essay we will be discussing Jackie Robinson’s early life, impact on society, and the criticism he went through during his career and his early life.
In this essay, the author
- Describes jackie robinson's early life, impact on society, and the criticism he went through during his career.
- Narrates how jackie was born into a sharecropper family in cairo, georgia. his father left him with the land owner's wife and moved to pasadena.
- Narrates how jackie's class mates realized how fast he could run and black and whites alike wanted him on his team. as a teen, jackie felt closer to his brothers mack and frank robinson.
- Narrates how jackie had a gang of his closest friends called the pepper street gang. they never got into trouble and never did anything violent. some men from the neighborhood helped raise jackie and guide him.
- Narrates how jackie started his career in collage after his brother died. he played sports at pasadena junior college, then transferred to ucla in 1939, where he was arrested for resisting arrest.
- Narrates how jackie was drafted into the united states military and met joe luis, a heavyweight champion, who helped him achieve his rank and salary.
- Describes how jackie was approached by ricki, the manager of the brooklyn dodgers, who wanted him to play for the royals in montreal.
- Describes the impact that he had on the united states as a total. he broke many color barriers during the 30 or so years that were involved in sports and sports related activities.
- Explains that jackie robinson's influence in american culture was major because he influenced one of the most influential people in america, martin luther king jr.
- Concludes that jackie robinson had a big influence in american culture. he showed that kids didn't think the same way their parents did.
- Describes the accomplishments of jackie robinson. n.p., 2013. ford, carin t. the hero of baseball. berkely heights nj: enslow, 2006.
- Cites cliff corcoran's biography of jackie robinson, which was published in sports illistrated.
936 wordsRead More - Jackie Robinson: Breaking the Racial Barriersanalytical essayJust two days earlier at a banquet in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City, many people had paid $25 a plate to show their admiration for Jackie as both a ballplayer and a representative of the Negro race as well. Some of the most distinguished figures in the nation were present this day and their praise was loud and long (Mann 187). Jackie had accepted without hesitation a challenge to break a prevailing color barrier in the national sport of America with complete knowledge of how much depended on him. Few men had ever faced such competitive odds when becoming a player in organized baseball. Despite criticism and opposition, Jack Roosevelt Robinson had truly come a long way from his poor beginnings as the grandson of slaves in Cairo, Georgia, to breaking the racial barriers in major league baseball by becoming its first black athlete and achieving hall of fame status.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that jackie robinson and bob feller were inducted into baseball's hall of fame on july 23, 1962, in cooperstown, new york.
- Analyzes how robinson received his plaque to take his place among the greats in the hall of fame. after the induction ceremony, an exhibition game between the milwaukee braves and the new york yankees was cancelled.
- Opines that jack roosevelt robinson broke the racial barriers in major league baseball by becoming its first black athlete and achieving hall of fame status.
- Explains that jackie robinson's childhood was a struggle in family and financial matters. his father deserted the family six months after he was born, leading to several hardships.
- Narrates how robinson's uncle had served in the first world war and settled in california. when he returned to visit his family in georgia, they scarcely recognized him. he convinced his sister and her children that california would do better.
- Describes how mrs. robinson settled in pasadena with her sister and brother-in-law, brother, a nephew, and her husband's cousin.
- Analyzes how mrs. robinson found employment at which she could earn enough money to consider a more ample living space. however, the neighborhood did not welcome these georgia negroes.
- Explains how the robinson boys, frank and mack, sought ways to help solve the family’s financial problems. jackie's first regular employment was carrying the los angeles times and the la examiner on a regular sunday morning delivery route.
- Explains that jackie robinson was ready for high school, and at muir tech, it did not take long to find expression in athletics for the rare coordination and tightly controlled competitive instinct with which he had been born.
- Narrates how jackie robinson decided to enter pasadena junior college when he received no offer of a full scholarship. his oldest brother, frank, was upset by this.
- Narrates how jackie was too anxious to fulfill frank's prediction when he caught his foot in a hole and two tacklers hit him. he played quarterback during the last six games that year, but the college scouts who had passed him up in high school were now convinced.
- Analyzes how jackie made his miscalculations in basketball, baseball, and track even more emphatic. he set a new world record in the broad jump at pomona college and was named the most valuable junior college player in southern california.
- Analyzes how jackie robinson became a legend in southern california through the football season of his second year at pasadena jc.
- Explains that jackie chose ucla because of his brother, frank, who couldn't attend the games. frank never saw jackie play at ucla and his brilliant years as a bruin star were tinged with grief.
- Opines that jackie robinson will go down in history as the greatest all-around athlete in pacific coast history.
- Narrates how jackie robinson applied for officer candidate school at fort riley, oklahoma, and confronted racial discrimination as an adult.
- Narrates how jackie was offered three hundred dollars a month to play baseball for the kansas city monarchs. he joined them in training camp at houston.
- Analyzes how jackie robinson, sam jethroe, and marvin williams attended the so-called tryout, which was a hoax. writers such as ed sullivan, damon runyon and others discredited baseball bosses.
- Narrates how branch rickey, owner of the brooklyn dodgers, was contemplating a means of overcoming the difficulties and bringing about change. he had gone to school with negroes in ohio in his boyhood.
- Opines that success in each would depend to a large extent on the player himself. his poise and coolness under tension was even more vital.
- Analyzes rickey's decision to settle on robinson as his pioneer, stating that he was looking for a ballplayer with guts enough not to fight back.
- Explains that jackie robinson was asked to make good with teammates, coaches, and a manager who had been raised with attitudes of prejudice. the vast public at home followed baseball results in newspapers and on the air.
- Describes how jackie robinson appeared for the first time in organized baseball in jersey city on the eighteenth of april, 1946. he drove in three montreal runs as he lined a 335-foot home run over the left-field wall with two men on base.
- Analyzes how robinson's season with the royals was epitomized in the little world series of 1946, when his team met the louisville colonels for the minor league championship.
- Narrates how jackie robinson was heckled by the philadelphia phillies, who pointed bats at him while making machine-gunlike noises. he led the dodgers to the 1947 pennant and was named the national league’s most valuable player.
- Narrates how jackie robinson retired from athletics in 1957. he was a successful businessman turned democrat and champion of civil rights and rehabilitation programs for drug addicts.
- Explains that jack roosevelt robinson had come a long way from his poor beginnings as the grandson of slaves in cairo, georgia, to breaking the racial barriers in major league baseball.
- Opines that robinson's dream had become reality by the end of the century. black players and coaches can now be found in the dugout and a few black managers on third base.
- Cites bontemps, arna, brown, avonie, robinson, dodgers #42 and smith, robert.
3262 wordsRead More - Jackie Robinson Obstacles Analysisanalytical essayJackie robinson faced is the opposite attitude from fans, other teammates, and even his own teammates. But he is the first one to fight back, and become the first African American that play baseball. He also is challenge the segregation that is opposite to him, like from fans, “The hate mail piled up. There were threats against me and my family and even out-and-out attempts at physical harm to me.” Also from other teammates, “ It hadn’t been that easy to fight the resentment expressed by players on other teams, by the team owners…” It all shows up that Jackie Robinson
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how jackie robinson, feng ru, and melba pattillo beals faced challenges and made history. they challenged their own life and the attitude of segregation in that time.
- Analyzes how jackie robinson is the first african-american baseball player to fight back against segregation. he drew strength from rachel branch rickey and from children.
- Analyzes how melba pattillo beals, like robinson, is facing the segregation problem, that they don't accept the african americans, and integrated them with all-white people.
- Analyzes how feng ru challenged his own life, even though he might die, but still worked hard, and brought the aviation to china.
- Explains that jackie robinson became the first baseball player, melba pattillo beals changed the attitude of what people thought about segregation, and feng ru brought the aviation to china.
729 wordsRead More - Jackie Robinson's Lifeexplanatory essayThese are the words of Jackie Robinson, the first black man to play baseball in the Major Leagues. Jackie Robinson changed the face of baseball. Back then, in 1947, blacks and whites didn’t have the same opportunities. Blacks weren’t as respected as whites were. National and American teams, like the Major Leagues, were segregated because people thought that blacks weren’t as talented or smart as whites were. Jackie Robinson proved all those people wrong and made history by greatly impacting the sport of baseball with both his mental and physical ability.
In this essay, the author
- Narrates how jackie was drafted into the us army and sent to fort hood, texas, where he became a second lieutenant.
- Explains that jackie robinson changed the face of baseball by changing the way people thought blacks and whites were treated.
- Explains that the negro league games were popular during the depression, but they didn't have as much money as the national league or american league.
- Explains herman, gail, and john o'brien. who was jackie robinson? new york: grosset & dunlap, 2011.
- Narrates robinson's promises to keep: how jackie robinson changed america.
1098 wordsRead More - Baseball: How the Game Was Changedexplanatory essayAt the time most Americans did not think that African-Americans could play baseball but that all changed when Jackie Robinson was picked up by the Dodgers. He was much faster and stronger than the other baseball players. But what set him apart from the other players was his ability to hit for power. Robinson hit twelve homeruns in his first year as a professional baseball player. At first he player at second base but then he was moved up to first base for his good glove. Robinson’s only made five thousand dollars in his first year as a professional baseball player. As a child Robinson grows up in a nice family how loved him he had to brothers he learned baseball from his brothers and other sports. He ended up going to college and played football. Robinson came from an athletic family his brother went to the Olympics and so did Robinson wining silver. And a new dash record was set by Owens with a 20.7 second dash set by an African American the Olympics. ( Jackie robinson).
In this essay, the author
- Explains that jackie robinson, the first african-american to play baseball, improved the game of baseball. he was drafted by the dodgers in 1947.
- Explains that jackie robinson was faster and stronger than the other baseball players. he hit twelve homeruns in his first year as a professional baseball player.
- Narrates how robinson ended up going to college and playing football, baseball, track, basketball. he lost the job to a white person because he was black.
- Explains that robinson was the first african-american to play in an all-star game in 1949. after a decade with brooklyn, he was traded to the new york giants in 1956.
- Analyzes how the film focused on negro sports issues and openly criticized segregated hotels and restaurants that served the dodger organization.
- Narrates how robinson married rachel isum, a nursing student at ucla. they had three children, jackie jr, sharon, and david. robinson played baseball for ten years.
- Explains that president bill clinton pays tribute to jackie robinson at yankee stadium on april 15 to honor his life as a baseball player.
- Cites getty images, ‘american baseball player jackie robinson.’ photography, student research center, ebscohost, 1950010.
691 wordsRead More - Warriors Don T Song Analysisanalytical essayJackie Robinson was the first African American to play in the world series of Major league Baseball. In paragraph of” I Never Had It Made” sentences four and five, it states, “ It would be the first time that a black man would be allowed to participate in a world series. I had become the first black player in the Major League Baseball. This quote explains how Jackie Robinson made a big impact on his country by being the first African American to play Major League Baseball. In paragraph 3, “Some of my own teammates refused me because I was black.” This quote shows that how the white people showing racism to Robinson.“I had been forced to live with snubs and rebuffs and rejections.” He was the first African-American to create large difficulties to make a breakthrough around his life. Black people supported me with loyalty and showing allegiance. Robinson faced a great deal of discrimination from his team, opposing team, and the crowd, but he did not respond generously, but with his play. Paragraph 12, it states, “The black and the young were my cheering squads.” Jackie Robinson made history in 1947 when he broke baseballs color barrier to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers. As the matter of fact, Jackie Robinson made a huge impact in the world by not only integrating Major League Baseball but he also helped the people bring acceptance and he also opened up
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how melba pattillo beals, jackie robinson, and feng ru faced life changing experiences that changed their lives and their country.
- Describes how melba pattillo beals integrated an all-white school and changed education for all of the african-american students. she faced racism and discrimination, as well as, sacrificing her safety to make a difference.
- Explains how jackie robinson made a big impact on his country by being the first african-american to play major league baseball.
- Explains that feng's labor and backbreaking work has changed his own country, "china". he was an immigrant as well as a self-taught engineer who had to translate all the aviators work.
- Concludes that feng ru, jackie robinson, and melba pattillo beals faced crucial discipline and dangerous tasks that impacted their country.
794 wordsRead More - Jackie Robinson: Courage And Determinationanalytical essayCourage and determination. These two things are hard to find in life, but for some it is the only means of life. For Jackie Roosevelt Robinson, this was his life. Whether its discrimination, cruelty, or undeserved harsh judgment, Jackie Robinson has endured it all. Starting with his early life and concluding with his legacy, we will explore the “life and legend of Jackie Robinson”.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that courage and determination are hard to find in life, but for some it is the only means of life. jackie roosevelt robinson endured discrimination, cruelty, or undeserved harsh judgment.
- Explains that jackie roosevelt robinson was born on january 1st, 1919 in cairo, georgia. his father left when he was very young, so it was tough on him not having a father figure around.
- Describes jackie as one of the most decorated college athletes of all time. he served in the us army as a second lieutenant from 1942 to 1944. his actions spurred america to become what it is today.
- Narrates how branch rickey, the owner of the brooklyn dodgers, was the man that started the story of jackie robinson.
- Describes jackie as a feared base-runner who hit his first home run on april 18 off of dave koslo and was hit by more pitches than any other player in the entire league. jackie and pee wee became life-long friends.
- Analyzes how robinson struggled to keep his temper during pre-game practice. the team rallied around him and urged other blacks to break down the color barrier.
- Explains that jackie robinson made $250,000, which was nine times the average income of a family in the 50's, and 25x as much as he made in his rookie season with the dodgers.
- Explains that jackie robinson signed a major league contract with the brooklyn dodgers on august 28, 1945, becoming the first african-american player to play for an american club.
1721 wordsRead More - The Life And Life Of Jackie Robinson's Lifeexplanatory essay“He could hit and bunt and steal and run. He had intimidating skills, and he burned with a dark fire.” (author Roger Kahn) This quote describes how Jackie Robinson played and acted on the field. Jackie Robinson’s full name is Jack Roosevelt Robinson, and he was born on January 31, 1919, in Cairo, Georgia. Mallie McGriff and Jerry Robinson were his parents, they had four other children (Jackie was the youngest) Frank, Mack, Edgar, and Willa Mae. (New York Times) His dad, Jerry, was a sharecropper, but he left Jackie and the rest of his family, when Jackie was six months old. The plantation owner then ordered the rest of the Robinson family off the land. Jackie’s mom, Mallie, the moved the family to California, where her brother lived, Burton McGriff. She found work washing and ironing and by 1923, bought her own place. (Encyclopedia)
In this essay, the author
- Describes how jackie robinson played and acted on the field. jack roosevelt robinson was born on january 31, 1919, in cairo, georgia. mallie mcgriff and jerry robinson were his parents.
- Explains that jackie robinson grew up in california, along with his four older siblings. he played sports to defuse anger, and excelled at football.
- Explains that jackie robinson got the mvp award at college, for being the only student attending the university of california that was successful in four different sports.
- Explains that jackie robinson was the first black man to play major league/professional baseball. he broke the color barrier by joining a street gang called the pepper street gang.
- Explains that jackie robinson died of a heart attack on october 24, 1972, north stamford, ct. he was buried at cypress hills cemetery, new york city.
767 wordsRead More - What Was The Legacy Of Jackie Robinson And His Lifeexplanatory essayThis paper is about not only about the legacy of Jackie Robinson but also his life and how he changed the Major League Baseball internationally for African American worldwide. Jackie Robinson is remembered as the man who broke the color barrier in major league baseball and was the first African American inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. Jackie Robinson played baseball at a time when teams were segregated, black from white. With the assistance of team manager Branch Rickey, Robinson took action, desegregating Major League Baseball as the first black ball player with the Brooklyn Dodgers. He left a legacy opening professional sports to many African American athletes. His outstanding career with the Brooklyn Dodgers and his dignity in facing the insults and threats that were hurled at him broke down the racial barriers in America’s Pastime and opened the way for black players who followed. Jackie Robinson broke down the invisible barriers of racism and segregation through his hardships, career and legacy.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that jackie robinson broke the color barrier in major league baseball and was the first african american inducted into the baseball hall of fame in 1962.
- Explains that jackie robinson was born in cairo, georgia, on january 31st, 1919 to a sharecropping family. at six months old, his father left them, and his mother moved them to pasadena, california, where it was easier for african americans to live and find jobs.
- Describes how jackie's mother single-handedly raised him and his four siblings in pasadena, california, where he played football, basketball, track, and baseball. his older brother, matthew, inspired him to pursue his talent and love for athletics.
- Describes how jackie continued his education at the university of california, los angeles, where he became the university's first student to win letters in four sports. robinson was forced to leave ucla just short of graduation because of financial problems.
- Analyzes how robinson's courage and determination against segregation were key to the impact robinson would have in major league baseball.
- Narrates how jackie robinson's career began after his discharge from the army in 1944. he married rachel isum and signed with the kansas city monarchs in the negro baseball league.
- Introduces jack roosevelt robinson, the first black player to play in major league baseball.
- Explains that jackie robinson's journey to break through the color barrier with the help of branch rickey has set new standards for all black athletes.
- Analyzes how robinson had an outstanding start with the royals, playing his first game for the team on april 18, 1946, at roosevelt stadium in jersey city.
- Describes how jackie's success led to his promotion with the dodgers and his history making as the first african-american player in major league baseball.
- Describes how the st. louis cardinals threatened to strike rather than allow a black player in their game in brooklyn. robinson overtime won over fans with his athletic abilities and helped the dodgers win the national league pennant.
- Describes how the philadelphia phillies and their manager, ben chapman, harassed robinson during one game. many players on opposing teams threatened not to play against the dodgers. durocher's loyalty to robinson set the tone for the rest of his career.
- Opines that jackie robinson's legacy will change the face of major league baseball forever. he was inducted into the baseball hall of fame in 1962, and his uniform number was retired universally in 1997.
- Explains that jackie robinson was the first black man to play in the major leagues and vice president of the freedom national bank. he was awarded the congressional gold medal and the presidential medal of freedom.
- Explains that jackie robinson was famous for his pursuit outside of the baseball diamond. he was the first black man to play in the major leaks, and he established the freedom national bank in 1960.
- Explains that jackie robinson was the first african-american to play in the major leagues since the 1880s. he was popular for his nonviolence, calm spirited, and his talent.
1769 wordsRead More - How Did Jackie Robinson Break The Color Barrierexplanatory essayJackie Robinson one of the most inspirational professional colored baseball players to change all american sports and to also break the color barrier on April 15, 1947, As Jackie experienced great troubles because of his color he would not let racism shadow his talent. Jackie was an all around athlete however we know him as a baseball god. As he won numerous amounts of awards people all around the world began to look up to this incredible athlete. As he dealt with racism throughout his whole life Jackie went on to show the world that color does not determine talent.
In this essay, the author
- Describes jackie robinson as one of the most inspirational professional colored baseball players to change all american sports and to also break the color barrier on april 15, 1947.
- Explains that jackie robinson was the first african-american to play in an mlb game and broke the race-barrier by signing with the brooklyn dodgers.
- Opines that jackie has changed all sports in america and opened up doors for other colored athletes in the world.
416 wordsRead More