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Jackie robinsons impact on American society 5 paragraph essay
Jackie robinsons impact on American society 5 paragraph essay
Jackie Robinson impact on America
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Jackie Robinson has made one of the biggest impacts on the game of baseball to date. Jackie was born in Cairo, Georgia on January 31, 1919. He was born to Mallie and Jerry Robinson and was the fifth child and the fourth son. Jackie’s father ran out on his family in hopes of a better life when Jackie was only one years old. After his father left, they moved to an all white suburb. At that time most neighborhoods were segregated, so his neighbors made a petition to relocate his family which fortunately did not work. Jackie was raised by a single mother and in poverty. When Jackie was about fourteen years old, he was part of a street gang. One of the people on his street told him that if he would keep hanging out with the gang he would disappoint his mother (Scott 31). In my opinion those words saved …show more content…
If Jackie would have kept hanging out with them he probably would have ended up in jail. In a time when it was a impossible for a black person to be in the MLB, Jackie Robinson overcame obstacles and broke the color barrier. Jackie Robinson was an amazing athlete. He played four sports and was named the region's Most Valuable Player in baseball in 1938, at a time when black people were not so readily accepted into the the sports world. With hard work and perseverance Jackie went to the University of California, in Los Angeles, where he became the university's first student to win varsity letters in four sports. Jackie was also a lieutenant in the U.S army, but he never saw combat. He then moved to Honolulu, Hawaii where he became a semi professional football player. After he was in the army he went to the Negro Leagues. During his time in the Negro Leagues, Branch Rickey, the general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, was looking to bring black prospects into Major League Baseball (MLB) to break the color barrier of
He told himself that his son was going to remember him...and he hoped that he would only remember good and happy things. Jackie was offered a spot on the Brooklyn Dodgers team. Jackie had been a part of many black baseball leagues, but this would be the first white team he would be on. Branch Rickey (the president of the baseball team) knew that Jackie Robinson would be the man for the job. Rickey made sure that Jackie wouldn’t lose his temper at the first sight or racial abuse.
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.
“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
Especially if you were a Dodgers fan, considering he did accomplish many things not even the best white baseball players were doing. As long as it took for integration to finally be settled was due to the beliefs of the people on race equality dating back to pre-Civil War, throughout Jackie’s career. The views have most definitely changed between races throughout the years, allowing very few differences between race, beliefs, preferences and more to be supported throughout the league. This is greatly appreciated in modern baseball today because baseball would not be what it is today if integration still existed, and/or if the league still had the color ban.
(Robinson). This proves that he broke a racial barrier that needed to be broken. Although Jackie faced threats racial slurs and more he got through it and integrated into the MLB and changed his
Branch Rickey had been around baseball all his life. He was a player, coach, manager, and team owner for over sixty years. Branch Rickey was nominated into baseball’s hall of fame and on his plaque it mentions his signing of Jackie Robinson. Branch Rickey chose Robinson because he knew he would be able to take all the abuse and keep his cool. Also, he knew Robinson was an outstanding ball player. Branch Rickey has always wanted to integrate baseball since early in his career. Rickey was looking for a strong person who would be able to take the public scrutiny, avoid confrontation, and also a talented ball player. Rickey set his eyes on Robinson because he has had experience in integrating other sports. Robinson attended UCLA and lettered in four other sports.
Jackie played baseball in 1944 for the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro American League where he caught the eye of Clyde Sukeforth, a scout working for Branch Rickey.
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.
After his departure from the Army he joined the Kansas City Monarchs, an all African-American baseball team, of the Negro League. Due to low pay and constant traveling, he decided he did not want to make baseball a career although he was one of the top players. Until 1947 only white players were allowed in Major League Baseball but in 1945 Clyde Sukeforth, a scout for Branch Rickey who was the Brooklyn Dodgers club president, had been looking for an African-American player and was watching Jackie for a while.
To the average person, in the average American community, Jackie Robinson was just what the sports pages said he was, no more, no less. He was the first Negro to play baseball in the major leagues. Everybody knew that, but to see the real Jackie Robinson, you must de-emphasize him as a ball player and emphasize him as a civil rights leader. That part drops out, that which people forget. From his early army days, until well after his baseball days, Robinson had fought to achieve equality among whites and blacks. "Jackie acted out the philosophy of nonviolence of Martin Luther King Jr., before the future civil rights leader had thought of applying it to the problem of segregation in America"(Weidhorn 93). Robinson was an avid member of the NAACP and helped recruit members because of his fame from baseball. Jackie had leadership qualities and the courage to fight for his beliefs. Unwilling to accept the racism he had run into all his life, he had a strong need to be accepted at his true worth as a first-class citizen. Robinson was someone who would work for a cause - that of blacks and of America - as well as for himself and his team.
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.
...as handled by his courage were the first few years he was signed on to the Brooklyn Dodgers. In the interview between Jackie Robinson and Branch Rickey, Dodgers president, said to Robinson:
The time came on April 15, 1947, when the man who would change all this stepped up to bat, marking the first time an African American played in the major leagues. Jackie Robinson was the man and the hero of baseball to the black people. With much hope, Jackie Robinson and the African American race marked the beginning of the struggle for the ultimate goal, which was equality. Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born on January 31, 1919 in Cairo, Georgia. He was the son of a sharecropper, and life wasn’t easy for him, starting from the very beginning.
Jackie Robinson wore number 42 on the field when he played for the Dodgers in 1947 (Jackie Robinson). He was born in Cairo, Georgia. He was the first Athlete at UCLA to get a varsity letter in four sports Football, basketball, track and baseball. Forced to leave college due to finical reason, Jackie had enlisted in the Army (Jackie Robinson). Jackie had a successful Army career too, after just two years he had become a Second Lieutenant, but that career was cut short too when he was court marshaled due to racial objections (Jackie Robinson). Jackie Robinson was brave enough to play baseball knowing the risk he was taking playing in the league at such a racist time. A quote said by Jackie Robinson by Rickey "Jackie, we've got no army. There's virtually nobody on our side. No owner, no umpires, very few newspapermen. And I'm afraid that many fans may be hostile. We'll be in a tough position. We can win only if we can convince the world that I am doing this because you're a great ballplayer, and a fine gentleman." (Jackie Robinson).