Landon DePrima
English 3CPE
Mr. Manzo
March 3rd, 2023
Struggling as an athlete is a common sight on the field, but going through what Jackie Robinson had to do both on and off the field is unmatched. Most athletes consider struggling as facing a minor injury or having to be the most for their team. Jackie Robinson was under more pressure than any athlete ever before with the entire future of color barriers in professional sports on his back. Not only was it about sports, but he held a major impact and change in racism across all borders. He was raised single-handedly by his mother along with four other siblings. Times as an African American family was challenging when he was growing up. Jackie Robinson faced more adversity than any athlete
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His encounters with racism and discrimination included taunts, fights, and even death threats from other athletes, fans, and media. Fans had mixed emotions watching him play, some fans supported him others not so much. Home fans would start to treat him better than away fans and even his own teammates(Ladner). Despite the challenges, Robinson persevered and developed into one of baseball's all-time greatest players. He was able to show his skills on the field by winning Rookie of the Year in 1947. He was selected for six All-Star games, and led the Brooklyn Dodgers to six National League pennants and one World Series championship. In 1962, Robinson was elected as the first African American to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Robinson made Major League Baseball’s All-Century team and ranked fifteenth among ESPN’s top-century athletes. Robinson transformed the national pastime, combining speed with power”(Porter). Racial boundaries in sports were dramatically changed as a result of Robinson's on-field success. It is impossible to overstate Robinson's significant influence on the Civil Rights Movement and public opinion. He changed how people perceived African Americans in professional sports and became a source of motivation and hope for African Americans across the nation. Jackie Robinson changed American culture and paved the way for a more just and equitable society with his contributions, both on and off the