...In 1948, the very next year after Robinson, Larry Doby played for the Cleveland Indians becoming the first African-American in American League Baseball. In another example, Willie O’Ree was the first African-American hockey player. When Willie took the ice, the stadium became silent in remembrance of Robinson. There are many additional examples of African-Americans breaking color barriers by using the example that Robinson set in 1947 Robinson could be aggressive and argue his point and many people said he was heroic fighting for civil rights. When Robinson quit baseball in 1956, he was really involved in the Civil Rights Movement. The Robinson family stuck together and triumphed over racial segregation with their heads held high. Robinson’s wife, Rachel, was the love of his life. They went on to have three wonderful children despite the hot glare of publicity and some of the most turbulent years of the Civil Rights...
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...Americans due to the fact that television did not yet exist (Breaking the Color Line: 1940 - 1946). In 1946 Jackie Robinson was the first African-American person to play in a professional baseball league (Krogstad). Also in 1946 football began desegregating (African American Celebrity and the Civil Rights Movement). Four African-American athletes were added to the football roster (African American Celebrity and the Civil Rights Movement). Bill Willis...
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...number on his jersey was 42, he wore that number his entire Major League career with the Brooklyn Dodgers. The movie “42” is a biopic of the legendary baseball player Jackie Robinson, when in 1947 Jackie became the first African-American player to break Major League Baseball’s color barrier. The great directing, acting, and writing made this film enjoyable to watch. This well-made movie primarily tells the story of Jackie Robinson under the direction of his general manager Branch Rickey, while showing us Jackie’s battles with racism and a classic love story. “42” is a snapshot in the life of Jackie Robinson, which allows the movie to run at a nice pace. As Bernard Beck points out, in The Dark Knight Rises: In 42 Jackie Robinson Saves The American Dream, “Our attention is not fixed on how he became a great player, on how he succeeded in his career after that first year, or how they built a family. We are shown the great pressure they were under and that they handled it” (89). The movie starts out in 1946, when Branch Rickey the legendary general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers decides that he is going to bring a Negro to play for the team, breaking Major League Baseball’s notorious color barrier. Rickey explained, “I couldn’t face my God much longer knowing that His black creatures are held separate and distinct from His white creatures in the game that has given me all I own” (qtd. in Tygiel 48). This defiant but heroic decision puts Ricky and Robinson in the cross hairs of the...
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...stories. Since 1947, American history has portrayed Jackie Robinson as a hero, and he has been idolized as a role model to the African American baseball community. It is an unarguable fact that he was the first to tear down the color barriers within professional baseball. The topic of Robinson’s role in integration has long been a point of discussion amongst baseball historians. Researchers have accumulated thousands of accredited documents and interviews with friends and team mates such as short stop, Pee Wee Reese, and team owner, Branch Rickey. However, few journalists have asked why Robinson was selected and what was Branch Rickey’s motivation? While Robinson was the first Negro player to break into the ranks of professional baseball, it can be argued that he was not the first to attempt the undertaking. In actuality, Jackie possibly was not even the first player the Brooklyn Dodgers’ organization considered for the job. The Warner Brothers film, 42, The Jackie Robinson Story (2013), highlights the accomplishments of Jackie and rightfully so, as he was an amazing man. The story actually starts prior to 1947 and ends years later in 1959, three years after his retirement in 1956. Early in his career at Ohio Wesleyan University, where Branch Rickey played and coached baseball, an incident occurred with one of his young black players, Charlie Thomas, which would forever change Rickey’s life, the future of integration of major league baseball, and would have an impact on...
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...Jackie played his first game in 1947 breaking the long-standing color barrier. Throughout his career, Jackie put up great baseball numbers, winning several awards throughout his career, and eventually he was elected into the prestigious Baseball Hall of Fame. More impressively though, is the way Jackie carried himself, always with grace and courage. Even in the face of people in the stands yelling horrible insults, pitchers trying to hit him, or even death threats, Robinson always kept his calm and collected demeanor. He never fought back or showed any signs of retaliation for the treatment he received. Jackie showed that non-violence would break the color barrier and gain respect from others. This helped pave the way for the Civil Rights Movement in a couple of ways. First, it showed that not all of America was ready for a social change but brave people like Brooklyn Dodgers General Manager, Branch Rickey, were. People like him were ready for African Americans to have equal rights and be viewed the same as everyone else. This also showed that through non-violence, African Americans could be more effectively trying to get their rights. Violence would not be the answer, but a nonviolent way would. Civil Rights...
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...Troy Marrow HIST 1540-OL1 November 30, 2014 Jackie Robinson Robinson, Jackie (January 31, 1919 – October 24, 1972) baseball player, civil rights activist was born in Cairo, Georgia the youngest of five children. His parents were Jerry and Mallie Robinson. Mallie Robinson worked several different jobs after her husband Jerry left the family in 1920. At Muir Tech, Robinson played several sports at the varsity level and lettered in four of them: football, basketball, track, and baseball. Robinson attended Pasadena Junior College (PJC), where he continued his athletic career by participating in basketball, football, baseball, and track. After graduating from PJC in spring 1939, Robinson transferred to UCLA, where he became the school's first athlete to win varsity letters in four sports: baseball, basketball, football, and track. Robinson was one of four black football players on the UCLA Bruins football team. Robinson was also the 1940 NCAA Track and Field Champion in the long jump. Ironically baseball was Robinson worst sport at UCLA he only hit .098. While at UCLA, he met his future wife, Rachel Isum. Robinson's eligibility ended at the end of 1941, UCLA asked Robinson to stay and even offered financial support to him. He didn’t have much money, but he turned down the offer respectively. An interesting fact is Robinson never graduated from UCLA. Robinson then became an assistant athletic director with the government's National Youth Administration (NYA) in Atascadero...
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...Sure enough, as Rickey had thought, Robinson’s endurance was tested. Some of his new teammates did not accept him, harsh words from people in the crowds were used, and he and his family received threats. Robinson played his first game on April 15,...
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...evolution; and, we certainly have much to thank for these actions. Sporting, as is explained by renowned sports author Richard Davies, is the “Organized competitive activity between participants that requires some combination of skill and physical prowess.”1 Though, something more complex and unusual also comes with activity of this nature, and this is the ability to forget the destitution and difficulty of everyday life and the capability to be on a level playing field with many people that believe the same way, no matter what socio-economic class they represent. One sport in particular has transcended all other games, has continually been a psychological shelter from pain and hardships of life, and also a cultural rocket breaking through the social barriers in the American society. That sport is simply the most beloved American game of all, baseball. The purpose of this essay is to critically explore a myriad of aspects of life that have been changed due to sports, all the while concentrating on baseball as the main focal point. Further, this work will continually pose the question of how it is conceivable that a single and simple sport could greatly impact a country the way baseball has the United States. At the time of the first foreign inhabitants of North America, life was more difficult than someone of the twenty-first century could have imagined. The hardships were endured by every colonist nearly twenty-four hours a day, with little to relieve their minds of the complexities...
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...The Monarchs were part of the Negro Baseball League. At this time of history, Black players were still not allowed in Major League Baseball. Jackie played well. He was excellent short stop and hit for an average of .387. While Jackie was playing for the Monarchs he was approached by Branch Rickey, the general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Branch wanted to sign a African-American player to help the Dodgers win the pennant. When he approached Robinson, Branch told Jackie that he would face all sorts of racism when he first went to go play for the Dodgers. Branch wanted someone who take insults and not fight...
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...that Jackie Robinson is a great baseball player, but he was so much more. As a well known colored baseball player, Jackie Robinson showed Americans that anyone can play in the major leagues. He left the lasting legacy for breaking the color barrier and more colored players play today. The early life of Jackie Robinson was very rough because his dad worked on a plantation and didn’t make much money. Then his dad abandoned the family and ran away with a neighbor, which is really messed up. (Robinson 4) Then shortly, the mom moved the whole family to Pasadena, and this messed with Jackie because he didn’t have a father or father figure to help him...
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...Jackie Robinson born on January 31, 1919 in Cairo, Georgia. Jackie Robinson was arguably the best baseball player ever. The first black baseball player in the M.L.B. And he was also the first African American to get a M.V.P. Award, also played in six world series. He sadly died from a heart attack on October 24, 1972 when he was 53. When Jackie Robinson was in high school he was a really good athlete. Jackie Robinson went to UCLA, he played football, basketball, track, and baseball. After college he served in the U.S. Army. After that he played baseball for the Kansas City Monarchs ( a negro league team ) . In 1946 Jackie met a man named Branch Rickey ( the owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers ) and got signed to the Dodgers and broke the color barrier...
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...Rickey had been thinking to bring black talent to his team but he needed the right person. And he thought that Robinson was the adequate person. In october 23, 1945 he signed Robinson with the montreal royals of the international league. After he signed with the montreal royals which pay him very well and made it possible for him to be able to marry Rachel in 1946. While he was playing with the montreal royals he made a name for himself.He shined in the international league world series in 1946.They won the championship with alot of help from Robinson and he won the batting crown that year. After his accomplishments he was moved to play with the Dodgers where he also shine. And although people were racist to him he never lost his patience and finally it all paid off. Robinson was really breaking the color barrier that existed at that time he became a national icon for those who were against segregation. And also he showed the people that african americans also have talent. As time passed other three africans were brought to the major league baseball that was a sign that Robinson did really break the color barrier.Those players along with Robinson were put in the hall of fame. After playing for eleven years Robinson decided that it was time to...
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...Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born on January 31, 1919, in Cairo, Georgia. Breaking the color barrier, Jackie Robinson became the first African-American to play in baseball's major leagues. The youngest of five children, Robinson was raised in relative poverty by a single mother. 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 continued his education at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he became the university's first student to win varsity letters in four sports. In 1941, despite his athletic success, Robinson was forced to leave UCLA just short of graduation due to financial hardship. He moved to Honolulu, Hawaii, where he played football for the semi-professional Honolulu Bears. His season with the Bears was cut short when the United States entered into World War II. He never saw combat, after his discharge he began playing baseball again professionally., Since he was a African American he played in the negro leagues., Jackie played with the '' Kansas city Monarchs" for one season before Branch Rickey, president of the Brooklyn Dodgers, to help integrate major league baseball. He joined the all-white Montreal Royals, a farm team for the Brooklyn Dodgers, in 1946. Robinson later moved to Florida to begin spring training with the Royals, and played his first game in Ebbets...
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...Major Leagues of Baseball. He started his rookie season on April 15, 1947, and went on to thrive breaking the strong color barrier that had been around the Major Leagues since 1876. He not only was the first African America to play baseball but he displayed honor and respect to every person on the field and off the field he came in contact with. His career helped drive the civil rights movement that started in the 1950s and 1960s. Jackie had a way of presenting himself to people no matter what color they were. He was known to be an aggressive man yet only when standing up for his civil rights. He always hated injustice things and would do whatever was in his power to seek out solutions to anything he could. I particular event that occurred and that many people honored were when Jackie was in the army. He had the courage to stand up on the bus and tell the sergeant who wanted him to go to the back of the bus ‘No’. This caused an outrage and Jackie went on to be court-martialed for his guts to fight for civil rights. Jackie was a firm believer in facing his problems head on and he was never an ‘avoider’. Upon most of all Jackie’s success in the Major Leagues, it was mainly because he had the courage and guts not to fight back at times and lead by example. What I mean by this is that he was such a strong leader that when the Brooklyn Dodgers drafted Jackie, the president Branch Rickey wanted Robinson to not fight back and restrain himself to any racial situations. A great example...
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...Player Award in 1949. Jackie Robinson had a tremendous place in the overall struggle for equality in post-World War II America. He was very kind but without a doubt always stood up for his belief in equality. A major turning point in Robinson’s life was when Branch Rickey who was the club president and general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers approached him. Rickey showed interest in Robinson and was interested in filling a possible addition to the Dodgers team. At the time Robinson was playing for the Montreal Royals and was one of the few African Americans who were selected for interview. Although others would be interviewed, Rickey was concerned with racism and Robinson’s ability to withstand without acting out. This is due to the small incident that caused him a couple of nights in jail during his time at PJC. Robinson committed to Rickey and assured him he would “turn the other cheek” at any racial act or comment. After this commitment it was official, Robinson signed a contact with the Dodgers. Though Rickey showed interested, many ball clubs at this time were unwilling to integrate. There were even laws set in place prohibiting colored people and whites playing together. Many teams felt threatened if not forced by Rickey decision to have Robinson join the Dodgers. Many teams were also simply just not ready to let an African American player join their team. During this era racism was still considered to be at its prime and segregation laws only made things worse. Many players...
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