After the Civil War, between the years, 1865 through 1870 the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments were adopted by the United States. They abolished slavery, provided equal protection for freed slaves, and prohibited discrimination of colored voters. These Amendments granted former southern slaves the freedom to pursue happiness, but in 1868, the “separate but equal” doctrine kept these amendments from bearing fruit. For nearly a century the “separate but equal” doctrine promoted segregation, and suggested that it was constitutional to keep blacks and whites separate as long as they had equal rights to education, public transportation, and restrooms, but the definition of equality in the south was very vague. Segregation included …show more content…
He was a transfer student from Pasadena Junior College. Where he also excelled in sports. The baseball field, football field, and track facilities are all named after Jackie Robinson. While at UCLA, Jackie Robinson was the first athlete to become a four-sport athlete, excelling in baseball, basketball, football, and track & field. In 1940, Robinson won a track & field NCAA national championship in the long jump, by recording a jump of 24’10.25”. Falling short of Jesse Owens world record of 26’ set in 1935, by nearly two feet. None the less he Jackie brought a national championship home for the Bruin family. Unfortunately, in 1941, just shy of graduation, Robinson left UCLA due to finical …show more content…
However, as Jesse Owens moment took place over the course of a few weeks, Jackie Robinson’s happened over the matter of ten years. Even today Jackie Robinson's defining moment in history is being felt. Jackie Robinson paved the way to the desegregation in all professional sports. By the time, civil right leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. made a name for himself, or Rosa Parks made a name for herself, the integration of African American athletes in professional sports was accomplished and becoming the norm. Players such as Roy Campanella and Don Newcombe were teammates of Jackie Robinson when they helped the Brooklyn Dodgers defeat the New York Yankees in the 1955 World Series. The first World Championship for the Dodgers organization. Jackie Robinson was a trailblazer, blazing a trail for everyone, no matter the color of their skin to compete in professional baseball and all professional