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Jackie Robinson: African American
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Marshall wrote, "For whites, Jackie Robinson was a figure they could not ignore. The former football All-American at UCLA was educated, clean-living, and played life by the rules. Robinson earned the grudging respect of many of his peers on the field and the out-and-out admiration of millions of white fans who saw him play or read of his exploits. Robinson was as good as or better than those he played against, and he performed in an institution that was one of the most visibly segregated institutions in America."
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Jackie Robinson is famous for breaking baseball's color line. While he was not the first African American player in the majors - Fleet and Welday Walker preceeded him, and some claims have been made that Bill White was ... African American - he was the first in over 60 years and the first to play after the establishment of the color line.
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In the 1950 film biography of Jackie Robinson, he plays himself. The film depicts the player as someone who would become a chosen diplomat and figurehead for all other African American athletes who would follow.
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Jackie Robinson will always be remembered as the person who broke the color barrier in American athletics. He was born on January 31, 1919 in Cairo, Georgia. He was the youngest of five children in a family of sharecroppers. His father abandoned them shortly after Jackie was born. And at the urging of her half brother, his mother moved her family, along with her mother, Mallie, to Pasadena, California.
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In 1947 precedent was shattered when Robinson was brought up to the Brooklyn club. African Americans had not played in big-league competition in the 20th cent., but resistance dwindled as Robinson excelled. In 1949 he won the National League batting crown, hitting .342, and was named the NL's most valuable player. Robinson played his entire career (1947–56) with Brooklyn, where he set fielding and batting records and gained a reputation for base stealing. Other African Americans began playing in the major leagues soon after his debut. In 1962 Robinson became the first African American to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
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Jack Roosevelt Robinson was the first African American Major League Baseball player of the modern era in 1947. Born on January 31, 1919 he is known by his jersey number, 42, a number which will never be given to any other player thereon. He broke the baseball’s color barrier which didn’t encourage the Negro’s participation in the game. He conquered most of his matches on the base paths stealing home many times. He was known for his daring base running style. Robinson was named National League MVP in 1949, leading the loop in hitting (342) and steals (37), while knocking in 124 runs.
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