“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 …show more content…
An incident at PJC illustrated Robinson's impatience with racism, a trait that would resurface repeatedly throughout his life. On January 25, 1938, Robinson was arrested after disputing the detention of a black friend by police. Robinson received a two-year suspended sentence, but the incident, along with other rumored run-ins between Robinson and police, gave him a reputation for combativeness in the face of racial antagonism ("Jackie Robinson," Wikipedia). After graduating from PJC in 1939, Jackie enrolled at UCLA where he became became the school's first athlete to play on four different varsity sports: baseball, basketball, football, and track ("Jackie Robinson," Wikipedia). After college, Robinson joined a football team in California, however, he was not able to play because the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, drawing the United States into World War Two, and forcing Jackie to join the army ("Jackie Robinson," Wikipedia). From 1942 to 1944, Robinson served as a second lieutenant in the United States Army (“Biography”). However, his time spent in the army was short-lived, due to racial incidents. During boot camp at Fort Hood, Texas, Robinson was arrested and court-martialed in 1944 for refusing to give up his seat and move to the back of a segregated bus (“Biography”). After his acquittal, he was transferred to Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky, where he served as a coach for army athletics until receiving an honorable discharge in November 1944 ("Jackie Robinson,"
Jackie Robinson stands at front plate, with the bat gripped firmly in his hands. The crowd, rather than cheering, was booing and shouting at him. Racial slurs were throw before the baseball ever was, but Jackie kept calm. He couldn't let them win. The pitcher finally threw the ball. Crack! The ball sails over the stadium and the crowd is full of convoluted cries and shouts. Jackie jogged home. He had won that round.
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.
Jackie Robinson decided to fight to be the first African American to integrate the Major League Baseball (MLB). His autobiography states he “was forced to live with snubs rebuffs and rejections” ( Robinson). This quote shows that he was treated unfairly and disrespectfully. In Robinson’s autobiography it also states that Jackie Robinson broke the racial barrier and created equal oppurtunity proving that a “sport can’t be called national if blacks are barred from it”
After leaving UCLA his senior year, Robinson enlisted in the US Army during World War II. He trained with the segregated U.S. 761st Tank Battalion. Initially refused entry to Officer Candidate School, he fought for it and eventually was accepted, graduating as a first lieutenant. While training at Fort Hood, Texas, Robinson refused to go to the back of a bus. He was court-martialed for insubordination, and therefore never shipped out to Europe with his unit. He received an honorable discharge in 1944, after being acquitted of all charges at the court-martial.
One of the major stands that were made during a black athlete’s tenure during his or her sport were their statements on racism. Racism in America was an ongoing situation in the 1900’s that seemed to have no resolve before black athletes took a stand. One prime example can be Jackie Robinson who became the first African-American athlete to play baseball in the modern era. Jackie grew up in one of the most racist towns in Pasadena, California and came from a poor family as his parents were sharecroppers and...
Jackie Robinson’s ability to successfully integrate his sport set the stage for many others to advocate for an end to segregation in their respective environments. His period of trials and triumphs were significant to changing American perception of the Civil Rights revolution. By becoming the first African-American baseball player to play in the major leagues, he brought down an old misconception that black athletes were inferior to white athletes. Successively, his example would inspire those advocating for their civil rights, he lived out a message of nonviolence similar to the one Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. lived out. Despite the constant prejudice he faced in his sport, he was able to keep himself composed and never retaliate.
After having his father leave him at six months old, his family moved to Pasadena, California. In Pasadena, Robinson grew up in poverty. Having this issue that many people in color had in common, Robinson took odd jobs to support the family. In 1932, Jackie graduated from John Muir High school then graduated from Pasadena Junior college in 1939. He then transferred to UCLA becoming the school's first to win varsity letters for four sports. During senior year, he met his future wife, Isum. After UCLA in 1942, Jackie Robinson was assigned to a segregated squadron at Fort Riley, Kansas. On July 6th, 1944 there was an event that destroyed his first long time job; when boarding an army bus, the driver commanded Robinson to go to the back of the bus. As a response of the bus driver’s remark, Jackie Robinson confronted him. This led to Robinson going to court being falsely charged. Being brought to court had ended his military career so he decided to move on. After Robinson’s military career, he went back to Los Angeles. Over there, were his old football and an old friend. His old friend, Rev. Karl Downs, offered Robinson a job to be a athletic director. He then taught and coached children; along with working with children Robinson worked along Huston College coaching in 1955- 1955. While working at Sam Houston, the Kansas City Monarchs offered a job to play pro negro baseball. In his baseball career, being apart of the Monarchs, Robinson experienced disorganization which frustrated him. Having his travel schedule being hectic, he couldn't make time to communicate to Isum; this became a burden in their relationship. In the total Robinson played 47 games with the Monarchs. There, he made an impeccable performance which landed him to play in the 1945 Negro League All-Star Game. Looking for jobs with more potential, trying out with the Red Sox. Trying out with the Red Sox was horrendous, with the racial
Jackie Robinson was the first African American to play Major League Baseball. This was not an easy task for him to do. People judged him and didn’t like him by the color of his skin. Jackie Robinson said “The hate mail piled up” (Robinson). That shows that no one cared to give him a chance to play in the Major League. The innocence of young kids had a great inspiration on Jackie Robinson because they didn’t care about his color they just wanted him to play good. Jackie Robinson was “proud to be a part of a significant breakthrough” (Robinson) in breaking the color barrier. Even though Jackie Robinson has been through
1.Jackie was forced to make self sacrifices through his life. On April 3, 1942 Jackie entered in World War II. He sacrificed his life for a country that doesn’t even give him equal rights. In the summer of 1944, Robinson became a lieutenant in the navy. He was one of few African American lieutenants.
According to the Collins Dictionary, “freedom” is defined as “the state of being allowed to do what you want to do”(“freedom”). The definition of freedom is simple, but make yourself free is not easy. Concerning about some common cases which will take away your freedom, such as a time-cost high education attainment. In this essay, I shall persuade that everyone should try his or her best to insist on pursuing freedom. For the individual, it appears that only if you have your personal freedom, can you have a dream; for a country, it seems that only if the country is free, can the country develop; for mankind, it looks like that only if people has their own pursuit of freedom, can their thoughts evolve.
Jackie was born and raised in Cairo, Georgia 1919. He was raised by his single mother Mallie along with is four siblings. He was the first person at UCLA to obtain a varsity letter in baseball, basketball, football, and track. He married Rachel Isum who he met at UCLA. He however had to leave school due to financial reasons and decided to enlist in the military, but was honorably discharged due to being court-martialed due to his actions against racial discrimination. Jackie played one season in 1945 with the Kansas City Monarchs leading to further achievements in his professional baseball career.
Have you ever thought of changing society, or making a difference ? It doesn’t take a lot of people. One person can make a huge difference. People should have their own rights. One of the lots of other amounts of people should not be controlled. An individual should have the power to change society. History supports that because so many people can change the world and make things right. Like an example for Jackie Robinson, “After his retirement Robinson stayed a baseball legend”.
According to Jessie Jackson, "A champion wins a World Series or an Olympic event and is hoisted on the shoulders of the fans. A hero carries the people on his shoulders" (Robinson 3). This is what made Jackie Robinson a hero to African-Americans. Robinson's achievement goes beyond the statistics and championships he earned on the field. He opened the door for his entire race to play professional sports and gain acceptance as more desegregation took place. After fighting in World War II from 1941 until 1944, Jackie played for the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues from 1944 until 1946. In 1946, he was selected as the best person to break the color barrier in Major League Baseball.
"In his early days in the Army, he established himself as a fighter for civil rights"(Weidhorn 40-1). The U.S. Army was segregated about the time Robinson enlisted. He felt for the first time in his life what it was like to be a second-class citizen as a part of his daily life. Jackie had too much pride though, to let things stay the way they were. Many blacks accepted how things were in the army. Robinson knew that if he tried hard enough, he could change things. One particular event caused Robinson to stand up for his rights, almost to the point of being court-martialed from the Ar...
The first African American to play Major League baseball once said, “a life is not important, except in the impact it has on other lives”; this was, of course, Jackie Robinson. Similar to Muhammad Ali, he faced problems head on a...