Jackie Robinson (Jimmie) Robinson was a Major League Baseball player from 1913 until 1950. He is one of the few black athletes to play in the major leagues. During the first year of the National League, he played for the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Pittsburgh Pirates. In 1938, he was the first black player to be voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, and in 1951, he became the second Major League Baseball player to have his number (#42) retired by his team. He was also inducted into both the National Baseball Hall of Fame and the National Collegiate Baseball Hall. How did this legend strive to become great?
Jackie Robinson Early Life
On January 31, 1919, Jackie Robinson was born in Cairo, Georgia. He was the fifth and last child to be born. The following year, after his father had abandoned the family, Jackie’s mother relocated the family to Pasadena, California. Jackie was a member of a gang at one point in his life since his family was destitute. It was a family friend and his participation in athletics that allowed Jackie to turn his life around.
Unfortunately, Jackie could not complete his education since he could not afford to pay the fees. His semi-professional football season in Hawaii was cut short by the outbreak of World War II. Jackie was punished for refusing to give up his seat on a segregated bus while serving in the military. Jackie’s struggle against racism and injustice will not end with these selfless deeds.
Jackie Robinson Struggles
Jackie Robinson was the man, and to this day, the title of “man” still belongs to Jackie Robinson in terms of the African-American race. Reading unique essays about Jackie Robinson tells a lot about a man who gave so much to help the black community. Jack Robinson is remembered throughout history as the man that brought up the new truth. That black person may strive to be more if they put in the effort, had bigger hearts, and worked as hard as watermelons. Jackie Robinson is the one who is accountable for the most powerful truth there is, which is the truth of hope.
As a child, Jackie reacted angrily to the racial slurs hurled at him by other white children, even if it meant getting beaten up in the process. However, Jackie was unconcerned. It didn’t matter what his elementary school teacher told him. Jackie never gave up on his dream of being an artist or a gardener. For Jackie, God’s plans for him went far beyond what the average Negro could have imagined at the time. His tenacity remained with him throughout his life, no matter how old he got.
Making History
Jackie was challenged with a similar predicament in 1942, more than a decade before Rosa Parks’ legendary fight. In defiance of a police order, Jackie would not transfer from his white section seat to a black section seat in the back. The situation quickly deteriorated, but Jackie refused to back down. As a result of his resistance, Robinson faced a probable “dishonorable dismissal” from the military. He went to court and secured his right to an “honorable discharge” by proving that the behavior in question violated the army’s discrimination law.
As one shall see, Jackie Robinson’s spirit of defiance was ingrained deeply in his character. Jackie used his God-given talent and remarkable athletic ability to prove himself to society and become the person he always wanted. He won numerous awards.
It didn’t take long for anyone to understand that Jackie was a natural athlete. Jackie was unmatched in his academic achievements throughout high school and college, where she attended the University of California, Los Angeles. He was the only UCLA athlete to the letter in four sports, including baseball, basketball, football, and track & field. Even his best sport, baseball, was believed to be hoops, where he was a natural with “football shoulders.”
In the mid-20th century, the NFL and NBA were not as welcoming as baseball was. However, things weren’t always this way. Black ballplayers were driven to form their leagues because of segregation and the underlying existence of racism in society. Just a few notable players discovered through Negro Baseball Leagues in the early 1920s: Satchel Paige; Roy Campanella; Josh Gibson; Marvin Williams; and Sam Jethroe.
Jackie Robinson inspired these African-Americans, along with hundreds of thousands of others, to live their lives to the fullest potential, both for themselves and for everyone else in their immediate environment; to pursue success even when it seems impossible to do so; to continue setting goals even though some people will try to derail them, and to accomplish what was thought to be impossible to accomplish.
The unique essays about Jackie Robinson explain how many legendary athletes, like Arthur Ashe and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, have discussed the influence that Jackie Robinson had on their lives in interviews and public statements. As a mark of respect, many sports people have started wearing the number 42 in his honor. The legacy of Jackie Robinson has resulted in the establishment of organizations such as the Jackie Robinson Foundation and the Jackie Robinson Society, both of which have made significant contributions to the advancement of the African-American community.
The Army of the United States of America
Robinson served in the US Army as a second lieutenant from 1942 to 1944. However, he was never involved in combat. For refusing to give up his seat on a segregated bus at Fort Hood, Texas, Robinson was arrested and sentenced to a year of military service in 1944. The NAACP and other black media outlets and Robinson’s friends and the NAACP worked together to bring attention to the injustice. In the end, he was found not guilty of all allegations and was discharged with honors. Precursors to Robinson’s impact on Major League Baseball can be found in his fortitude and a moral protest against segregation.
Conclusion
In the 20th century, Jackie Robinson was the first African American to play Major League Baseball. On April 15, 1947, he played for the National League Brooklyn Dodgers against the American League Boston Braves, breaking Major League Baseball’s decades-old “color line.”
Author’s Bio
Brandon Kryeger is an award-winning contemporary research and history writer. Several of his books have been awarded starred reviews by Kirkus, Booklist, Library Journal, Entertainment Weekly, and more.
