▁may ▁be ▁dimin ishing ▁and ▁possibly ▁disappear ing , ▁according ▁to ▁a ▁study ▁on ▁fan ▁voting ▁for ▁baseball ▁all - star ▁teams . ▁ ▁Major ▁League ▁Baseball ▁▁ ▁Jack ie ▁Robinson ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁African ▁American ▁to ▁play ▁a ▁major ▁league ▁game ▁on ▁April ▁ 1 5 , ▁ 1 9 4 7 . ▁Jack ie ▁loved ▁the ▁sport ▁of ▁baseball ▁but ▁that ▁wasn ' t ▁his ▁only ▁goal ▁to ▁make ▁the ▁maj ors . ▁He ▁wanted ▁to ▁make ▁a ▁way ▁for ▁more ▁African ▁Americans ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁league . ▁However ▁with ▁strugg les ▁of ▁people ▁being ▁rac ist ▁in ▁the ▁stands , ▁players ▁sp out ing ▁off ▁ra cial ▁sl ang ▁words ▁to ▁other ▁players ▁or ▁fans , ▁etc . ▁Jack ie ▁wasn ' t ▁disc ou rag ed ▁to ▁the ▁hate ▁as ▁he ▁was ▁not ▁only ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁best ▁African ▁American ▁to ▁play ▁the ▁game ▁but ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁best ▁in ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁baseball . ▁Jack ie ' s ▁legacy ▁stands ▁to ▁this ▁day ▁as ▁he ▁might ▁have ▁past , ▁but ▁his ▁actions ▁and ▁courage ▁insp ires ▁young ▁athlet es ▁today . ▁▁ ▁The ▁under - re presentation ▁of ▁black s ▁in ▁U . S . ▁baseball ▁ended ▁during ▁the ▁early ▁years ▁of ▁the ▁civil ▁rights ▁movement . ▁The ▁representation ▁of ▁different ▁races ▁in ▁Major ▁League ▁Baseball ▁has ▁been ▁increasing ▁since ▁ 1 9 4 7 ▁according ▁to ▁Mark ▁Arm our ▁and ▁Daniel ▁R ▁Lev itt ▁of ▁the ▁Society ▁for ▁American ▁Baseball ▁Research . ▁According ▁to ▁their ▁research ,