Jackie Robinson is one of the most influential people in American history. Everybody knows Robinson as an amazing baseball player that fought through the harsh conditions of competing in the “white” major leagues. Not only was Robinson a phenomenal player, but he was a humble human being as well. He paved the way for not only colored ball players, but also for civil rights activists as well.
Robinson had to play with the terrors of racism. He had to sleep away from his teammates and even had to scour for food alone. He was not allowed in most facilities with his teammates, so he was on his own most of the time. Not only did Robinson overcome these harsh conditions, but he performed terrifically in them. He led the Brooklyn Dodgers to the World Series in his first year on the team.
Robinson fought off racism by showing how wonderful he played on the field, performing proficiently on both offense and defense. With his extraordinary charisma and athletics, Robinson was able to win over the hearts of thousands of whites that loved to watch him play, something no other African American player could say they’ve done. With thousands of fans behind him, Robinson was able to prove that blacks could sell out stadiums just as well as whites could, which led to other teams singing African American players.
Robinson was the greatest role model in the middle of the 20th century, but why is he still praised today? If you look at baseball today, there is a diverse range of nationalities. Robinson was the perfect person to not only win over fans with his skills, but to shrug off any harsh actions thrown his way. Robinson is inspirational in the way he handled adversity and flourished both on and off the field.
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