Jackie Robinson

Martin Luther King Jr. said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands in times of challenge and controversy.” Jackie Robinson exemplifies this quote. Jackie is most famous for becoming the first African American Major League Baseball (MLB) player. He helped break the color barrier, and later fought for civil rights.

Jackie's heroic traits were courage and passion: the courage to achieve goals by overcoming obstacles and taking risks, along with the passion to inspire and motivate others to be the best they can be. He was selfless and had integrity. He fought for the civil rights of all oppressed. This is what makes Jackie Robinson a true hero.

On January 31st of 1919, Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born to Jerry and Mallie Robinson. When he was growing up, Jackie's family was the only black family on the block. The bond he had with his family was strengthened by the prejudice that they encountered.

Jackie Robinson started attending the University of California Los Angeles in 1939. He earned varsity letters in all four sports. When he left college, where he was heralded as an athletic superstar for UCLA, he was shocked at being treated as someone inferior.

He  served in World War II from 1942 to 1945. Even before he entered the view of the public eye, Jackie Robinson was standing up for what he believed in. He was proud to carry the title of ‘Civil Rights Leader.’ During the early parts of the war, as a young officer, he openly defended his civil rights. “Robinson stood up for equal rights even before he did so in baseball. He was arrested and court-martialed during training in the Army for refusing to move to the back of a segregated bus” (Baseball Hall of Fame). 

Jackie married Rachel Issum and they had three children: Jackie Jr., Sharon, and David.

Robinson’s most important place in his life was Brooklyn, New York--the hometown of the Brooklyn Dodgers. His Major League Baseball career lasted from 1947 to 1956.

Prior to 1945, African American baseball players were relegated to play in the Negro League; they were not welcome on any of the MLB teams. This all changed when the manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Branch Rickey, set his sights on Robinson. Unfortunately, racism and anger were not unfamiliar to Jackie. Jackie was aware of the problems inside of Major League Baseball at this time; his appearance would cause a stir within the all-white baseball community. Rickey convinced him that he needed the first African American player to be one who would not easily let someone under his skin. When Rickey was recruiting Jackie, then a Kansas City Monarch infielder, Robinson asked: “‘Mr. Rickey, do you want a ballplayer who is afraid to fight back?’ Robinson asked. 'No,' came the reply. ‘I want a ballplayer with guts enough not to fight back.’ Robinson relented; Rickey found his pioneer” (The Man Who Hired Jackie Robinson).

Jackie showed that he would not fight back against the slurs and discrimination thrown his way. ”During his first two years with the Dodgers, Robinson kept his word to Rickey and endured astonishing abuse amid national scrutiny without fighting back” (History.com Staff). While enduring mental abuse, Jackie was focused on making change for baseball.

When traveling with the team, Jackie faced even more difficulties. “He was forced to ride in the back of buses, and some games in which he was scheduled to play were canceled due to his presence. Nevertheless he proved his worth that season by leading the Royals to the championship in the Little World Series. His performance made it clear that he was ready for the major leagues” (Biography). Jackie Robinson was ready to ‘play ball’ and that he was there to defy all odds against him. Unfortunately, not all teams gave Jackie a chance: some cancelled practices and games if they had to face him. But Jackie was chosen to make change. He pushed through these mental obstacles to break the color barrier. It was three years before Robinson could speak his mind open about the current state of race relations within the MLB.

After his baseball career, Robinson was finally allowed to address the discrimination thrown his way: “Robinson, however, finally broke his emotional and political silence in 1949, becoming an outspoken and a then-controversial opponent of racial discrimination. “He criticized the slow pace of baseball integration and objected to the Jim Crow practices in the Southern states where most clubs held spring training” (History.com “Jackie Robinson.”). He wanted equal rights for everyone. Sharing his personal battles with the world  helped make change and find a way to solve those problems.

In order to make change, Jackie needed to share his experiences with others.

“After his retirement Robinson became a successful businessman and active supporter of political causes, devoting many of his efforts to the pursuit of a better life for African Americans” ("Jackie Robinson." Contemporary Black Biography). Even after his successful baseball career, Jackie was still standing up for everyone’s rights; Jackie wanted to show that everyone was equal. Retirement didn’t stop Jackie from standing up for what he believed in. What makes Jackie Robinson a hero are his character traits, from breaking the color barrier by being the first African American man in the Major Leagues, to standing up for black rights after his career. “Robinson's legacy continued to be influential into the twenty-first century. Since 2004, Major League Baseball (MLB) has recognized Jackie Robinson Day to celebrate his important contributions to the sport” ("Jackie Robinson." Contemporary Black Biography). To this day Jackie still proves to have an effect on others. In baseball, his number has been retired by all teams - they even have a day in his honor where all players sport the number 42! In the Civil Rights Movement, Jackie inspired people of all colors to stand up for their rights. Because of this - Jackie Robinson is my hero.

Works Cited

“Biography - The Official Licensing Website of Jackie Robinson.” Jackie Robinson, www.jackierobinson.com/biography/.

History.com Staff. “Jackie Robinson.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 2009, www.history.com/topics/black-history/jackie-robinson

“Jackie Robinson.” Baseball Hall of Fame, baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/robinson-jackie.

"Jackie Robinson." Contemporary Black Biography, vol. 6, Gale, 1994. Biography In Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1606000526/BIC?u=powa9245&sid=BIC&xid=d177078e. Accessed 25 May 2018.

“The Man Who Hired Jackie Robinson.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 25 Mar. 2011, www.nytimes.com/2011/03/27/books/review/the-man-who-hired-jackie-robinson.html.