Jackie Robison paved the way | Teen Ink

Jackie Robison paved the way

June 1, 2024
By Brownkamar BRONZE, Chicago, Illinois
Brownkamar BRONZE, Chicago, Illinois
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

The man who ended racial segregation in major league baseball and paved a way for african americans- jackie robison. He was born january 31st, 1919 in cairo georgia.Jackie robinson would end up breaking records and changing how things were in the mlb before him.

 


Growing up in a time where racial discrimination was all around him, he was put through many challenges and hardships but despite that his mother emphasized the importance of education and strong moral values which influenced his outlook on life.His talent for sports shined through early in his high school years where he excelled in various different sports and that talent lead him to pave his own way through sports in the future.

 


Jackie Robison imprinted his name into history during April 15, 1947 when he became the first African American in history for the Brooklyn Dodgers to play major league baseball. During the year of 1947 following his historic feat of being the first african american mlb player but he also became the mlb first rookie of the year ever. During his career, his contributions on the field were recognized by 6 consecutive All-star selections and he even won the national league batting title with an outstanding ,342 batting average.That accomplishment made his status as one of the league's premier hitters.

 


However he didn't just stop with his accomplishments in the league, he crumbled down racial barriers, faced racial prejudice with resilience, challenged stereotypes and overall showed that African Americans can also excel at professional sports. He became a symbol that showed that color didn't matter and as long as you put in hard work and dedication you could also pave your own way too.

 


He also advocated for civil rights using his fame and statues to address racial inequality, speaking out against segregation and discrimination in various aspects of American society. He joined the NAACP who he helped promote civil rights initiatives, engaged in business ventures which purpose was to empower african americans economically and uplift the community.

 


Despite his amazing work on and off the field, Robinson still faced discrimination he had to deal with racial slurs, threats and hostility directed from fans, opposing players and even his own teammates. Once such a case of this discrimination was his isolation from the team, initially teammates rejected Robinson not wanting him on their team because of his color which created many challenges for the team. He also faced discrimination traveling for games with limited accommodations and having to deal with segregation throughout this time.

 


As of today we celebrate and praise the work he accomplished on and off the field. We praise him for his courage and resilience for never giving up, for breaking racial barriers, for him speaking out about and helping trying to end racial discrimination and trying to 


The author's comments:

This essay is about how Jackie Robinson paved away for blacks, his accomplishments, the challenges he faced along the way, and how he etched his name into history.


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