“Next up to bat iiiis… number 42… JACKIE ROBINSON!” boomed the commentator as Jackie steps up to the plate. The crowd goes wild. The pitcher pitches a roaring fastball through the air. The crowd holds its breath. CRRRRACK! “A home run!” yells the commentator. Jackie Robinson is considered a hero because he stood up for the rights of African Americans around the whole nation and he broke racial barriers in baseball. So what is a hero? A hero is a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.
Jackie Robinson, named Jack Roosevelt Robinson, was born on January 31, 1919 in Cairo, Georgia. He died on October 24, 1972. He was the youngest of 5 children. His family worked as sharecroppers, tenant farmers who give a part of each crop as rent. Jackie was raised single handedly by his mother, Mallie Robinson. Jackie excelled at sports early in life, and at UCLA, one of the top athletic colleges in America, he became the first athlete to win varsity letters in four sports! He had to leave college due to financial difficulties and eventually decided to join the US Army. His career in the military was cut short when he was court-martialed for his refusal to move to the back of an Army bus. Jackie knew his rights and that the military had started to become integrated, so he was found innocent and was honorably discharged. Jackie joined and played one season with the Kansas City Monarchs, a baseball team in the Negro Baseball League. In 1946, Jackie Robinson married Rachel Isum, a nursing student whom he had met at UCLA. Branch Rickey, the Brooklyn Dodgers’ president, approached Jackie after a long, difficult quest for an African American athlete to play in the major leagues. He believed in equality and justice for everyone, but he knew the player would receive abusive comments from the civilians, so he recruited Jackie, the first negro player in major league baseball since 1889. Branch knew Jackie could handle the constant abuse thrown at him. This set off Jackie’s career and work in baseball and the liberties of African Americans. Jackie started his job in the major leagues on April 10, 1947 and he played his first game in the majors only five days later, on April 15,1947. Jackie played with the Dodgers for 10 years from 1947 to 1956, when he was traded to the New York Giants, but he had already decided to retire. Jackie was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 1962. Since then, many other honors and other recognitions have been dedicated to Robinson. Since 2004, April 15, the day Jackie played his first game in the major league, has been declared as Jackie Robinson Day within baseball.
Jackie Robinson broke racial barriers in baseball, giving millions of citizens around the nation hope in times of darkness and despair. Jackie’s entrance into the majors helped African Americans loosen their bonds. He had opened a doorway that was closed to them. Jackie’s performance showed millions of people that African Americans could do the same things that a caucasian citizen could do. Jackie spread hope through all the African American souls that had lost all hope for justice and equality. The biography of Jackie Robinson states “By breaking the color barrier in baseball, the nation’s favorite sport, he courageously challenged the deeply rooted custom of racial segregation in both the North and the South.” This shows that Jackie spread hope, proved negroes could do the same things as whites, and this quote from the biography flashes one of Jackie’s many heroic qualities.
Jackie Robinson stood up for African Americans’ liberties and freedoms. Branch Rickey, the Dodgers’ president wanted to improve his team and decided to recruit the major league’s first African American player. Jackie went through many rough times with racism and abuse, yet he stood tall and defiant and showed the nation that African Americans are just like everybody else. The Jackie Robinson video implies the Dodgers’ president, along with Jackie, wanted more African Americans in the major league and they both wanted equality and justice. This key detail shows that the power and influence of these great men developed bonds between the two races. Many whites realized that African Americans were not so different and understood that equality was being worked against with segregation and the old mindset. Caucasians and African Americans learned that underneath the skin, everyone was the same. With Jackie’s entrance into major league baseball, the Civil Rights Movement grew stronger, with more people African Americans or not getting involved. This shows Jackie’s influence on the population of the nation. Jackie brought the public’s eye to equality and justice.
As a victor, Jackie Robinson defied segregation and broke the racial bonds of African Americans, leaving behind a prominent legacy. A great athlete and hero, Jackie Robinson became a true legend.
Sources
article 'Jackie Robinson Biography'
video 'Jackie Robinson Video'
book 'Who Was Jackie Robinson?' By Gail Herman
book 'People Who Changed the World'
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