Jackie Robinson

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Jackie Robinson won the National League MVP Award in 1951, the first African American has won that award. He was the most popular player in the early 1950’s, for the first time an African American was in the center of mainstream media and popular culture. He changed the way the next generation viewed black athletes, he influenced mainstream media, and he brought his story to the forefront of baseball and sports media. Jackie Robinson was beloved by young baseball fans across the country, they didn’t think of him as the only black player in an all-white league, they saw him as the best player in baseball. The young people of Jackie Robinson’s time didn’t have the same racial prejudice that their parents had “You could look into the crowd and see young kids with the number 42 written with marker on white shirts, because their parents wouldn’t buy them the jersey of a black man.”(Long 356). Jackie Robinson taught a whole generation of Americans how to treat one another with respect, and inspired young Americans to not judge people based on skin color, despite their parents teachings. Jackie Robinson forced himself to be noticed, he refused not to be. He was to good not to cheer for “The fans the radio announcers and the TV announcers praised Robinson, It wasn’t about being black or white, he was just an amazing player.” (Shorto 24). Robinson commanded respect on the field with the way he played and the way that he composed himself. Robinson was a force, it was almost impossible to discredit him as a man. The story of Jackie Robinson has been brought to the fore front of sports media in the 21st century. Looking back at this man’s incredible story is something this nation has needed to do for a long time. People knew of Jackie Robinson’s story but refused to pay attention due to the color barrier of the time “Robinson’s life was well known by most baseball buffs, they told his story but at the time people weren’t ready to listen” (Robinson 112). The people of his time were not ready to hear the story of Jackie Robinson, the cultural barriers set up by early 20th century society made people ignorant of the humanity of non-whites. Through it all Jackie Robinson conquered life as a whole, taking his fame and infamy with the utmost poise and grace.

Jackie Robinson embodies the idea of an American hero, overcoming all odds to become a symbol of hope and equality. As the first African American to play baseball in the modern era Robinson took the bad publicity with grace, and the good with humbleness. Most people think he was just the first black baseball player, but he was so much more. Robinson overcame every challenge that came his way. He became a leader in every aspect of life, on and off the field. Jackie Robinson opened the doors for the civil rights activist that came after him, he opened doors for African Americans in sports, business and in news and television. Robinson taught a whole generation of Americans how to treat one another with respect. Today Jackie Robinson is a shining example of a proud American who refused to give up on his dreams, and stood for what was right

Works Cited

Primary Sources

Robinson, Sharon. Jackie’s Nine: Jackie Robinson’s Values to Live By. New York:

Scholastic, 2002. 192p.

Long, Michael G., First Class Citizenship: The Civil Rights Letters of Jackie Robinson, New

York, Holt Paperback, 2007, 384p

Secondary Sources

Greene, Carol. Jackie Robinson: Baseball’s First Black Major Leaguer. Chicago: Childrens Press, 1990. 47p.

Reiser, Howard. Jackie Robinson: Baseball Pioneer.New York: Franklin Watts,

1992. 59 p.

Shorto, Russell. Jackie Robinson and the Breaking of the Color Barrier. Brookfield, CT: Mill-brook Press, 1991. 28p. illus.