Jackie Robinson

Everyone has different interpretations, or their own way they define the word 'hero.' Well, those people are entitled to their own opinion, but I believe a hero is a legendary figure who is admired because of their courage, bravery, and accomplishments. In history many African-Americans have done a lot of great things, but I think one of the most valuable players is Jackie Robinson. I chose Jackie Robinson as my hero because despite the negative attention and racial intolerance he received from the public, he never gave up on himself or his dream. Although he experienced a lot of hardships in his life, he created a legacy for himself, and now he is known for being one of the best baseball players in both American and Negro history.

Jackie Robinson's legacy is known around the world, and he is an accomplished individual worth of hero status. First of all, Robinson lived during a time where colored people were considered "dumb" and "valueless." He proved the public wrong when he "broke the baseball color line" (Wikipedia.org) by becoming the first African American to play major league baseball for the Brooklyn Dodgers in April 1947. Jackie Robinson was an excellent player when it came to baseball, but he was good at other sports to, and he received a lot of recognition for it in High School. "At Muir Tech, Robinson played several sports at the varsity level and lettered in all of them: football, basketball, and baseball" .(Wikipedia.org). Robinson continued to play at a superior level throughout his career and in the end it paid off. In 1962 he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame (Wikipedia.org). This was a very special moment in his life, because for the first time he was recognized for his achievements from people around the world.

Something special that we do for positive African-American role models is by honoring their achievements during Black History Month. Jackie Robinson is one of the African Americans celebrate during Black History Month, and has done many things for black culture. Robinson is known for the way he played baseball, but he has done other things off of the field. During the 1940's racial discrimination was becoming worse and spreading like wildfire. "In 1942 Robinson was drafted and assigned to a segregated Army cavalry unit in Fort Riley, Kansas"(Wikipedia.org) Going into the military was a difficult job, but Robinson still served a number of years which is admirable , especially for an African-American. Robinson was also a major asset to the Civil Rights Movement. In 1944, "Robinson boarded an army bus line with a fellow officer's wife. Although the army had commissioned its own segregated bus line, the bus driver ordered Robinson to move to the back of the bus. Robinson refused" ( Wikipedia.org). Robinson stood up for his rights, and even though he was arrested for it, it proved his confidence and loyalty to himself and his race. Jackie Robinson proved to the world that you don't always have to rise to other's expectations, and if you feel something is wrong then you should make it your destiny to fix it.

Jackie Robinson has influenced a lot of people all over the universe. Heroes usually teach people life lessons, and Robinson did so. He taught people to never give up on hope, because good will come to you. Life is full of tests and surprises, and when life gives you lemons you make lemonade. He enjoyed playing baseball, and when he got into the major leagues, the dodgers weren't very tolerant of his athletic abilities. He was forced to sleep on team buses because of segregated laws, people yelled profane language at him on the field, and worse of all - his own teammates belittled him. They even tried to sign a petition to kick him off the team! However, Jackie remained loyal to his love of baseball while playing to the best of his capabilities. People today and history take Jackie Robinson actions as an example of the right thing to do when confronted by society. Robinson has changed the world because of his perseverance and ambition. Even though he isn't with us today, he is still very valuable to our society and will continue to be for generations.

Robinson was a very influential person, and has made a huge impact on how I see the world. Usually African Jackie American are portrayed as inferior and they have given the public a negative image of themselves. Nevertheless, Robinson is a positive role model, and he's taught the world life lessons. His teammates did not respect him, and neither did the public. Yet, that didn't stop him from doing what he loves best. You know the saying "There is no 'I' in team?" Well sometimes not everyone on your team is going to be tolerant of your athletic abilities, and you've got to be your own biggest fan. His legacy will forever remain remembered not only by his fans, but by the world.