Jackie Robinson and the Struggle for Equality in Baseball...

Jackie Robinson and the Struggle for Equality in Baseball Baseball has always been known as Americas pastime. But Americas pastime, along with Americas past, have both been saturated with the brutal force of racism. For hundreds of years, from the time of slavery until the middle of the 20th century, African-American children rounded up their friends and headed to the baseball diamond. There, for thousands of young black players, the smell of the grass, the cloud of dust that formed when running the ninety feet between bases, and the feeling of safely sliding into homeplate for a run marked the glimmer of fun and excitement in an otherwise dreary day. However, due to the color of their skin, black children were not awarded these†¦show more content†¦This feeling was felt until April 15, 1947, until the man who would change all this stepped up to bat, marking the first time an African-American played in the major leagues.# Jackie Robinson was the man, and as far as the African-American race is concerned, Jackie Robinson is the man. The day has lived in history as the first day of the beginning of a new truth. That, with hard work and a heart the size of a watermelon, black people could aspire to be more. Jackie Robinson is responsible for the truth of hope, a truth more powerful than any other. With this new hope, Jackie Robinson and the African-American race marked the beginning of the struggle for the ultimate holy grail...equality. Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born on January 31, 1919 in Cairo, Georgia. The grandson of a slave and son of a sharecropper, Jackie, as he become known, struggled from the very beginning. He was the youngest of five children in a poor family. After his father abandoned him at the age of one, his mother was forced to work many jobs just to support the family.# Jackie was very outspoken from the beginning. As a young child confronted with the everyday racist taunts from nearby white children, Jackie lashed back and always stood up for himself, sometimes to the tune of beatings from the children. But Jackie didnt care. EvenShow MoreRelatedJackie Robinson : The Game Of Baseball Essay1039 Words   |  5 Pages For as long as I have known the game of baseball and learned of our country’s history, there is one man that has always stood out to me. This man was very unique, he contained guts, courage, and a whole lot of drive. Who knew that with so called, â€Å"America’s Pastime†, he would play such a huge role and make such an outstanding impact on this great nation. The man’s name is legendary Jackie Robinson. 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