Jackie Robinson played a major role in the era of racial issues and blacks striving to be socially equal with whites. By breaking the color impediment in 1947, Jackie Robinson made amazing strides not only for black athletes, but also the hovering issues with racial equality. Robinson wanted to show people across America that African American’s had just as much of a right to be on the field as whites did. He faced many racial issues that were harmful towards him but he remained serene and did not act out against the harsh violence that was put upon him. According to Graf (2015), there was once a rule around the 1884 baseball season that wasn’t necessarily written down but all whites and blacks understood: The Major and Minor Leagues were …show more content…
He wanted to prove the people who doubted and hated him wrong because he himself knew that he could conquer the racism that he was faced with.
According to Graf (2015), After joining the team, Robinson received stacks upon stacks of death threats and hate mail. One of the hardest points and most shameful incidents for Jackie was during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies. He was up to bat and the manager of the opposing team, Ben Chapman, was leaning over the dug out fence screaming racial slurs out at Jackie. He was even encouraging his own players to taunt him throughout the game. Robinson still maintained his composure no matter how badly he was treated.
Jackie’s teammates slowly started to accept him as a player and as a person. Some players accepted him because they knew that he could help them win games and become an all around better team. Others accepted him because they absolutely hated the injustice that was taking place and genuinely liked Robinson. Over time, things began to change. For example, the Sporting News named him “Rookie of the Year” and baseball journalists and writers called him the “Most Valuable Player.” His popularity amongst American’s of all races