Around fifty years ago, Jack Roosevelt Robinson became the first black player to play in a Major League baseball game. The day he stepped onto Ebbets Field on April 15, 1947 he broke the color barrier, and paved the way for other black athletes (F. Mike). Without Jackie Robinson there would not be Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, or Tiger Woods. Without Jackie Robinson, sports as we know it would be very different. Overtime, someone else may have come along and broken the color barrier. But no one could have done it with as much bravery and grace as Jackie Robinson did. The way he handled himself on and off the field was remarkable. He took every racist comment and turned the other cheek. Robinson never seemed to let the pressure get to him, or so it seemed on the field (F. Mike). Robinson was a WW11 veteran, a civil rights activist, an …show more content…
Jackie succeeded in putting the racial strife aside and was able to show people what a talented player he truly was. He soon was able to win over respect from fans and over time gained respect from teammates. “In their response to Jackie Robinson, African-Americans rejected “separate but equal” status and embraced integration. Robinson’s presence in baseball electrified them, and they flocked to see the Dodgers in huge numbers and from great distances. African-American sportswriters, many of whom had advocated baseball integration for years, focused their attentions on Robinson and the black players who followed him. His success encouraged the integration of professional football, basketball, and tennis.” (History). When his career ended, “Robinson used his popularity to become involved in government, business deals, and with civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X. He strived to help under privilege black children, and help them stay off