Persuasive Essay On Jackie Robinson

Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born January 31, 1919. He was born in Cairo, Georgia and was the youngest of five children. He had a grandfather that was a slave, Jackie’s dad was a sharecropper and Mallie, Jackie’s mother, was a maid. His dad ran away from the family when Jackie was only an infant.

Baseball has always been America’s national pastime. In the early and all the way into the mid 50’s, baseball was America and America was baseball. The only thing lacking in the great game was the absence of African American players and the presence of an all white sport. America still wasn’t friendly or accepted the African American race and many still held great prejudice towards them. All this would change when the general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Branch Rickey decided he was going to sign a Negro player. Jackie Robinson was that player and Jackie Robinson changed the game, America, and history. By looking specifically at his childhood adversity, college life and the hardships he encountered by becoming the first black player

Jackie Robinson’s life changed when he became the first black man to play in the World Series and Major League Baseball during a time of segregation in America. These life-changing events challenged him because he had to face racially tense crowds and endured threats from teammates, opponents, and bigoted fans. In paragraph three, Robinson states, “There were threats against me and my family and even out-and-out attempts at physical harm to me. This quote explains that Jackie Robinson was facing racist people who were threatening him. Despite the racism he faced, Robinson learned to have pride in his accomplishments and appreciate the support courage, and love shown by his supporters. In paragraph eleven, Robinson states,”I don’t think i’ll ever forget the small, shrill voice of a tiny white kid who, in the midst of a racially tense atmosphere during an early game in a Dixie town, cried out “Attaboy Jackie”.” This quote explains how Robinson had pride in himself after a tiny white kid motivated him by encouraging him that he was a really good baseball player. Robinson responded to the life-changing events by not giving up when he was getting hate and racism. In paragraph three, it states, “Within the club, Mr. Rickey had put down rebellion that by letting my teammates know that anyone who didn’t want to be

Becoming the first African-American to break the racial barrier in a white supremacist sport like Major League Baseball during the 1940s when colored racism still occurred is an accomplishment like no other. Jackie Robinson faced numerous hardships and endured countless racial setbacks during his professional baseball career, but managed to set aside his frustrations and continue to emerge as a symbol of hope and unity for all. The makers of 42: The Jackie Robinson Story portray the story of his career as it demonstrates the struggle of race stereotyping during the 1940s and the interpersonal power struggles of being seen as an “equal”. “I'm not concerned with your liking or disliking me... All I ask is that you respect me as a human being” (Robinson) is a powerful message that I would like for you to keep in mind as you continue to read.

It has been said that real heroes risk their lives for others and Jackie Robinson has proven to be a hero. Robinson was “the first African American major league ballplayer of the twentieth century” (Scott 2) and has influenced many people on and off the field. When he “took the field for the Brooklyn Dodgers on opening day, April 15, 1947, he forever changed the face of major league baseball (“Jackie Robinson - Changing Major League Baseball”, 0:06-0:16). Throughout his years of playing on the field, he became a “militant campaigner for civil rights” (Scott 6) to show how it is important to America's history. Robinson has made major contributions to the advancement of the Civil Rights Movement by showing his courage, confidence, and what he stands for.

Jackie Robinson was an American baseball player that initially broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Being the first in anything, a person faces several challenges in changing current practices, processes, or beliefs. For Jackie Robinson, he used his amazing athletic skills to overcome the challenges people created due to the color of his skin. Jackie was born on January 31st, 1919 in Cairo, GA to sharecroppers and died October 24th, 1972 in Stamford, CT at the age of 53. (2) Growing up, Jackie was the youngest of five children and played multiple sports excelling in four of them that included track, football, basketball, and baseball.(2) In addition to playing sports, he served in World War II in the United States Army

“Jackie Robinson is perhaps the most historically significant baseball player ever, ranking with Babe Ruth in terms of his impact on the national pastime. Ruth changed the way baseball was played; Jackie Robinson changed the way Americans thought. When Robinson took the field for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947, more than sixty years of racial segregation in major-league baseball came to an end. He was the first acknowledged black player to perform in the Major Leagues in the twentieth century and went on to be the first to win a batting title, the first to win the Most Valuable Player award, and the first to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He won major-league baseball's first official Rookie of the Year award and was the first baseball player, black or white, to be featured on a United States postage stamp”(swaine,

Jackie Robinson Jackie Robinson did more in his short baseball career than anyone else ever did for the sport. He was always able to push on despite the criticisms and punishment he took from others. No other man can say that they broke the color barrier or that they changed the sport of baseball forever. To do what he did required strength and the ability to endure physical and mental pain. Jackie Robinson was the first African-American Major League Baseball player.

In the racially separated culture of 1919 America, one man stood up to break the color barrier in professional baseball. His name was Jack Roosevelt “Jackie” Robinson (Scott). As the first black man drafted to play Major League Baseball he faced frequent personal attacks, game boycotts and even death threats (Scott). But Jackie handled himself with true dignity, never quit and let his talent speak for itself winning several prestigious awards throughout his career (Scott). Jackie lead a race revolution forever changing the game of professional baseball in America and leaving a lasting legacy (History).

Jackie Robinson is known mostly for his achievements in athletics. In the video “Jackie Robinson - Changing Major League Baseball” from Bio.com, it is stated that “Robinson was the first African American to play in the majors in the twentieth century.” (0:20, 0:24). Not only had he started something new, Robinson had ended a sixty year old stigma. In an excerpt from “How Jackie Robinson Changed Baseball” by Jessica McBirney, it is stated that “In later seasons, more African-Americans joined other teams in the Major Leagues”, showing the impact that opening the gates had on the world of baseball (7). Robinsons’ breaking down of the color barrier in baseball has shown the impact that chasing dreams can have and has led to many people going after what they want.

In April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson took a step onto Ebbets field in a Dodgers number 42 jersey, breaking the color line. A crowd of 26,623 and over 14,000 Negros came to watch him that day. Even though he knew that playing in the Major Leagues wouldn’t be easy, he didn’t let his skin color stop him from doing what he wanted. His courage and perseverance inspired not only black people, but people of all races to not be afraid; to

Jack Roosevelt Robinson, born on January 31, 1919 in Cairo, Georgia, lived as the youngest of 5 siblings in a family of poor sharecroppers. Mallie Jackson, his mother, raised her five children alone in poverty after Jackie’s father left the picture in 1920, and moved the family to Pasadena, California. She took up many different jobs to try and support her large family by herself, so they would be able to live without many large issues. Jackie’s life as a young child was quite difficult because of his circumstances. Since he had no father to support him and his family, he grew up in a life without much support or many opportunities at all, and this is despite his race. Jackie, himself being african-american, was tormented by the effects of racial segregation and racism. The Jim Crow laws, as well as many other things including the relatively recent banishment of

Jackie Robinson was an American hero not only for the African American community proving that they were equal to white Americans, but also breaking the color barrier in major American sports and paved the way for future minorities for major American sports. Robinson throughout his whole life faced racial discrimination and was treated inferior to whites from his childhood until the day he died, and his life’s work made America a better place for African Americans by gaining more rights and opportunities, whether if they gained Civil Rights or rights to play on the same field as white professional sports players. The man who took the risk of signing Jackie Robinson was the General Manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers Branch Rickey, a former Major

April 15 ,1947 is when Jackie Robinson broke the color- barrier by becoming the first African American to play in Major League Baseball. The landscape of race relations that followed Jackie Robinson’s achievement in sports, politics and society as a whole, verify the reality of its impact. Robinson’s story, is in a sense has a wider history of racial integration in America. It somewhat circles itself, progress hitting resistance with

Jackie Robinson had a very challenging early life before baseball. Robinson was born on a plantation near Cairo, Georgia on January 31, 1919. He was the youngest of five and was raised in poverty by a single mother. In high school, he excelled in a variety of sports. Robinson received an athletic scholarship from UCLA and was the first to win letters in four different sports. He mainly played basketball, football, baseball and also ran track. Although, because of financial hardship, he sadly had to dropout of college and was drafted into the army. “Although he never saw combat during his time in the military, Robinson’s career was nonetheless noteworthy of hod refusal to yield his seat on a segregated bus during a training stint in Texas.” (“Jackie Robinson’s Role in Integrating Baseball” 1) However, he was arrested for refusing to sit