“This guy didn't just come to play, but he came to beat ya,” said manager Leo Durocher a manger for Branch Rickey(“Jackie Robinson, History”). Jackie Robison was a very competitive person. He came to prove what he had to offer. With all the accomplishments he archive. And all the hardships he overcame. Jackie Robinson was a very big social activist. With many events that happened even before his baseball career. Jackie Robinson was the first African American to play in the MLB. Overcoming many diversities that came in his way Jackie Robinson is now a very well known social activist and a great baseball player. Jackie Robinson's early life before pro baseball . how does he step out of the traditional bounds of society and why? What did they accomplish? How does society respond to them?
Robinson had a hard life being raised in the 1919s. Not only because of his racial differences. His father left his mother Mallie Robinson just about a year after Jackie was born. Leaving Mallie to take care of him and his 4 siblings fatherless growing up. With only one source of income coming in it left Jackie Robinson's family in poverty growing up (Obias). This had an impact on Jackie because being raised in a time when Africans had little freedom and he didn't have a father to support their family really left Jackie Robinson with unfair advantages compared to the other kids his age. In his city's small black community were often excluded from recreational activities. But that didn't stop him. Robinson attend UCLA in 1939. He was the first student to letter in four different sports in one year. He played football, basketball, baseball, and track. He was the star running back for UCLA, won a swimming championship, and a broad jump record during a track meet ( History.com Editors). Had to leave due to financial problems. Soon after college Jackie Robinson moved to Honolulu, Hawaii and played Semi Pro football for the Bears, but was cut due to World War II (“ Jackie Robinson, Biography”). Jackie Robinson went into the army from 1942-1944. He was the second lieutenant but never saw combat (Stone). In 1944 at boot camp in Texas, Jackie Robinson arrested for not giving up his seat and moving back in the segregated bus which made him stand out for getting picked for his baseball career (“ Jackie Robinson, Biography”). In his early Life Robinson was already making non traditional moves for being african american. How did Robinson step out of traditional views of society?
Robinson didn't follow the tradition society expectations for an african american . It all started when Robinson made an all afican american league. In 1945, Jackie Robinson played starting shortstop for the Kanasa City Monarchs, one of the best negro teams in the league (York). This is not common because not many africans americans played in this league so this was very rare. But robinson kept doing things more out of the ordinary, in 1946 played Minor League Baseball for the Montreal Royals. One year later he was called to play for the brooklyn dodgers (ordias). In his first year on the Dodgers, Jackie Robinson batted .297, had 12 home runs, and led the league in stolen bases. At twenty-eight years old Jackie Robinson played first base which he was not used to playing, as he always played second and shortstop. He won the Rookie of the Year Award (“Jackie Robinson,Biography”). Doing so made him become even more of an icon because he was the first african american to play in the MLB. In 1956 Jackie Robinson quit to start his new careers and then soon become more of a social activist.
After Jackie went to the World Series 6 times at the age of 37 he eventually quit baseball to work for the American coffee company Chock Full O’ Nuts. Soon he was the first African American to be vice president of a major american corporation. ( Obias) Another one of Robinson's first and was the start of breaking the color barrier in a major american corporations.. He became even more active as a vocal supporter of Martin Luther King Jr and the National Association Advancement of colored people. He was apart of the Albany Movement- by speaking to two back churches that burnt down in 1962. (York ). Did Jackie have any success with all these things he has done. With all these uncommon things Robinson did he had so many accomplishments.
After Jackie Robinson died, his number forty-two retired from every team in the MLB. In 2005, George W. Bush awarded him the Congressional Gold Medal, which is the highest medal of honor the US congress can give a civilian (“ York Kyle”).Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1962, his first year of eligibility. NAACP's prestigious Spingarn Medal. Elected to throw out the first ball at the 1972 World Series. Honorary degree from the University of Maryland. Honorary degree from Franklin Pierce College Honorary degree from Sacred Heart University.Honorary degree from Pace University.Honorary degree from the Howard University. Citation from the National Conference of Christians and Jews. Two Friends Award of the National Urban League
With all the problem robinson had and achieved through his life he gives everyone something to remember and changes the way american baseball is and so much more beyond the sport. Jackie Robinson was an inspirational person who showed that black people can do just as much as white people. Even though Jackie Robinson suffered a lot of racial inequalities in his lifetime and career, he learned how to stick up for himself and the people he cared about. He kept doing the thing he loved, playing baseball. “ Babe Ruth changed the way baseball was played Jackie Robinson changed the way people looked at baseball. Jackie Robinson has not only changed the way people look at baseball, but has helped with racism.