Jackie Robinson And The Heroes Of The Civil Rights Movement

Heroes of the Civil Rights Movement The Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 60s forever changed America, and gave African Americans many rights and freedoms that they were denied earlier. This movement was lead by brave and courageous leaders, some well known like Martin Luther King Jr., and Jackie Robinson, and other lesser known leaders such as Ralph Abernathy. Their heroic efforts to fight injustice paved the way for many positive changes in our country. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. became involved in politics early on in his life, and quickly rose to become the face of the Civil Rights Movement. Martin Luther King Jr. was a pastor in a Baptist church from Atlanta, and first got involved in the movement in 1955 when he helped organize the Montgomery bus boycott. After the boycott, he lead the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, a group of civil rights and church leaders that fought segregation. Among his many accomplishments, King is perhaps most well known for his ¨I Have a Dream

Robinson attended UCLA where he played four sports at the varsity level. Shortly after,America was brought into World War II, and Robinson joined the military. After the war was over, Robinson began playing baseball in the Negro Leagues. During this time, Branch Rickey, manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, was scouting for players in the Negro Leagues that could help the team win. He discovered Jackie Robinson, and was amazed by his performance, and decided to sign him onto the team. This was a huge achievement, and was an strong step in the battle for equality. Sadly, Robinson faced harsh racism and discrimination for participating in the Major Leagues. Despite this fact, Robinson was able to stay strong and calm, and help lead the team to victory. He was one of the best players in history, and he also broke the color barrier in