Breaking the Color Barrier: Jackie Robinson

Breaking the Color Barrier: Jackie Robinson Jennifer Beichner Clarice Moran and Crystal Simmons

Breaking the Color Barrier: Jackie Robinson

On April 15th, 1947 Jack Roosevelt Robinson became the first African American to play major league baseball for the Brooklyn Dodgers. The 28 year old made his debut with the Dodgers against the Boston Braves in front of more than 25,000 spectators at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York. However, the baseball game was not the main focus of the day. Robinson stole the spotlight as the first African American to play Major League Baseball.1 The racial tension of the day created an environment where many people were less than thrilled to see Robinson on the field. Jackie Robinson was an all around stand out athlete while he attended UCLA. Robinson became the first athlete to letter in four varsity sports while at UCLA: track, football, basketball and baseball. After UCLA Robinson served in the U.S. army for two years, from 1942 to 1944. Robinsons life took a major turn of events when Branch Rickey, the Dodgers president and general manager, contacted him. Unbeknownst to Robinson, he was about to be asked to join the Brooklyn Dodgers and break the color line in Major League Baseball.2 Robinson is known for becoming the first African American to play major league baseball. However, Robinson entered the league in a time that the idea of an African American playing a professional sport was taboo; it just did not happen. The strong movement and protest

Kashatus, William. Jackie Robinson: Baseballs Noble Experiment, accessed October 4, 2013, http://www.historynet.com/jackie-robinson#articles.
2

Kashatus, William. Jackie Robinson: Baseballs Noble Experiment, accessed October 4, 2013, http://www.historynet.com/jackie-robinson#articles.

Breaking the Color Barrier: Jackie Robinson for African American equality was not in full swing until the mid-1950s and 1960s. Robinson joining the Brooklyn Dodgers shocked the country. Schools and other public facilities were still segregated. America watching an African American play for a Major League Baseball team was truly astonishing. The fact that Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers during a time with such great racial tension provokes interest in how Robinson handled being the first African American to break the color line in professional baseball. The question generated for this inquiry asks: How did Jackie Robinson deal with the hardships of being the first African American to play major league baseball? From this inquiry, inference can be made. Through personal interviews and statements from Robinson the hardships that he faced are known. For one, Robinson knew what he was getting himself into and chose to do his best to not react to the hate. Through these interviews it is revealed that Robinson experienced racial hate from fans, opposing teams and his own teammates. Historical Context: During the 1940s major strides towards the Civil Rights Movement were being made. However, there was still a long road ahead for the equality of African Americans. In the early 1930s race riots occurred in major cities. African Americans were killed in cities such as Detroit and the Harlem section of New York City. In 1946, the year before Robinson played his first game with the Brooklyn Dodgers, The Morgan V. Virginia Supreme Court Case ruled that Virginia law requiring segregated seating on interstate buses is an unconstitutional constraint on commerce. This same year President Truman appointed a presidential committee on civil rights to respond to the violence occurring against African Americans nationally.3 By 1947, the

Tuck, Stephen. Civil Rights Movement Oxford University, England, 2004. Acces sed October 3, 2013. http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/civil-rights-movement.

Breaking the Color Barrier: Jackie Robinson presidential committee on civil rights submits its report on the treatment of African American around the country. The report recommends establishing a permanent enforcement of powers and ending segregation in the armed forces. The report also recommends establishing federal legislation that will punish those who participate in the violent activity of lynching. Lastly, the report calls for securing African American voting rights and integrating interstate transportation.4 While major progress is underway for the equality of African Americans, there are still major steps that need to be taken to improve the treatment of African Americans around the country. Robinson takes the spotlight on the Major League Baseball field right in the middle of the Civil Rights Movement. African Americans cannot sit on a bus with white people. Seeing an African American play a professional sport while all of America is watching is an unheard of idea. Branch Rickey was the man behind Robinsons signing to the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. By the 1940s, Major League Baseball had been racially segregated for many years. The black press and some members of the white press had been campaigning for the integration of Major League Baseball for sometime. Rickeys great experiment set into motion change for Major League Baseball. In 1945 Rickey and Robinson agreed to a contract that would bring Robinson into the Major Leagues in 1947. At the time Robinson was playing for the Negro Leagues Kansas City Monarchs. Rickeys great experiment, signing Robinson to the Dodgers forever changed the Jim Crow practices of baseball.5 Racial intolerance was not the only concern in integrating the Major Leagues. There were also economic and other complex factors that added to the continuation of segregated baseball.

Kashatus, William. Jackie Robinson: Baseballs Noble Experiment, accessed October 4, 2013, http://www.historynet.com/jackie-robinson#articles. 5 Kashatus, William. Jackie Robinson: Baseballs Noble Experiment, accessed October 4, 2013, http://www.historynet.com/jackie-robinson#articles

Breaking the Color Barrier: Jackie Robinson Economically, many owners of major league baseball teams feared that they would loose money by integrating baseball. Owners of Major League teams rented their stadiums to Negro League teams while they were on the road.6 If baseball were to become integrated many owners realized that Negro Leagues would probably not last because they would loose their best players to the Major Leagues. Integrating baseball would loose money for the Major Leagues and eliminate the whole institution of the Negro League. Racially, many people thought that the white audience would not want to attend Major League baseball games to watch black players.7 Analysis: From the reading of interviews with Jackie Robinson and Branch Rickey inference can be made about how Robinson handled the racial hardships of being the first African American to play Major League Baseball. The first inference to be made is that Robinson knew that he would have to deal with a lot of racial intolerance before he signed with the Dodgers. The second inference that can be made is that Robinson had a positive attitude in dealing with racial hate from the start of his journey with Major League Baseball. The first inference that can be made is that Robinson knew that he would have to deal with a lot of racial intolerance before he signed with the Dodgers. Robinsons first meeting with Rickey took place on August 28, 1945 and lasted about three hours. During this meeting Rickey grilled Robinson with racist scenarios that he may have to deal with both on and off the baseball

The Library of Congress, American Memory. Baseball, the Color Line, and Jackie Robinson. Accessed October 3, 2013. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/robinson/jr1940.html.
6 7

The Library of Congress, American Memory. Baseball, the Color Line, and Jackie Robinson. Accessed October 3, 2013. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/robinson/jr1940.html.

Breaking the Color Barrier: Jackie Robinson field, Do you think you can do it? Make good in organized baseball?8 Ricky grills Robinson. Rickey presents Robinson with a controversial scenario that could occur on the field: Suppose Im a player in the heat of an important ball game. He drew back as if to charge at Robinson. Suppose I collide with you at second base. When I get up, I yell, You dirty, black son of a He finished the castigation and added calmly, what do you do?9 Robinson responds: Mr. Rickey, do you want a ballplayer whos afraid to fight back?10. As the interview goes on Rickey continues to hound Robinson with scenarios that he will most likely encounter as the first African American to break the baseball color line. The next scenario Rickey presents Robinson with takes place on the field: Now Im playing against you in a World Series? Rickey stormed and removed his jacket for greater freedom. Robinsons hands clenched, trembled from the rising action. Im a hotheaded player. I want to win that game, so I go into you spikes first, but you dont give ground. You stand there and you jab the ball into my ribs and the umpire yells, Out! I flare up all I see is your face- that black face right on top of me.11 Robinson responds calmly to the scenarios that Rickey presents to him. Robinson realizes the hate and oppression that he will have to face. Through this first three-hour interview Rickey realizes that Robinson is cut out for the job. Rickey wanted a man that would remain cool in the
8

Jackie Robinson Breaks Baseballs Color Barrier, 1945, EyeWitness to History, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com (2005). Accessed Septmerber 29, 2013.
9

Jackie Robinson Breaks Baseballs Color Barrier, 1945, Eyewitness to History, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com (2005). Accessed September 29, 2013.
10

Jackie Robinson Breaks Baseballs Color Barrier, 1945, Eyewitness to History, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com (2005). Accessed September 29, 2013.
11

Jackie Robinson Breaks Baseballs Color Barrier, 1945, Eyewitness to History, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com (2005). Accessed September 29, 2013.

Breaking the Color Barrier: Jackie Robinson toughest of situations. This interview shows that Rickey has faith in Robinsons ability to hold his cool as the first African American to join the Major Leagues. This interview also shows that Robinson knew the types of situations that he would be up against. He knew he would have to handle them carefully. The next inference that can be made is that Robinson had a positive attitude in dealing with racial hate from the start of his journey with Major League Baseball. In 1971 Robinson answered an interview where he reflected on becoming the first African American to integrate Major League baseball: I was proud, Robinson admitted, yet I was uneasy. Proud to be in the hurricane eye of a significant breakthrough and to be used to prove that a sport cant call itself national if blacks are barred from it. But uneasy because I knew that I was still a black man in a white world.12 As Robinson reflects on his personal experience becoming the first African American Major League Baseball player it is evident that he had reservations and fears. However, his attitude shows that he realized the importance of what he was doing and persevered in the face of oppression. The newspaper article published in the New York Times on April 15th, 1947 gives first account news on Robinson joining the Dodgers. The article mentions how Robinson joining the Dodgers was not a surprise after proving himself in the AAA minor league. The article also discusses the hatred Robinson would have to endure from the Southerners, who made up about sixty percent of the leagues players. The article mentions how a number of Dodgers players are unhappy themselves about having to play with Robinson. However,

12

Effrat, Louis, New York Times. Dodgers Purchase Robinson, First Negro in Modern Major League Baseball. 1947. Accessed October 3, 2013. http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/big/0410.html#article.

Breaking the Color Barrier: Jackie Robinson Robinson is quoted in the article as being thrilled and its what Ive been waiting for.13 One of his former Montreal teammates wished Robinson luck and in response Robinson said, Thanks, I need it.14 Robinson was clearly aware of the hard road ahead for him. However, he was ready for the journey. Through examining the interviews with Jackie Robinson, two inference can be made regarding how he handled the racial hardships he experienced while becoming the first African American to play Major League Baseball. The first inference that can be made is that Robinson knew that he would have to deal with a lot of racial intolerance before he signed with the Dodgers. The second inference that can be made is that Robinson had a positive attitude in dealing with racial hate from the start of his journey with Major League Baseball. The first hand accounts of Robinson show how he felt about becoming the first African American Major League player. The accounts also show that he knew he would up against a lot of tension but was willing to push through and do his best to handle difficult racial situations with grace.

13

Effrat, Louis, New York Times. Dodgers Purchase Robinson, First Negro in Modern Major League Baseball. 1947. Accessed October 3, 2013. http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/big/0410.html#article.
14

Effrat, Louis, New York Times. Dodgers Purchase Robinson, First Negro in Modern Major League Baseball. 1947. Accessed October 3, 2013. http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/big/0410.html#article.

Breaking the Color Barrier: Jackie Robinson

Works Cited Effrat, Louis, New York Times. Dodgers Purchase Robinson, First Negro in Modern Major League Baseball. 1947. Accessed October 3, 2013. http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/big/0410.html#article. Jackie Robinson Breaks Baseballs Color Barrier, 1945, Eyewitness to History, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com (2005). Accessed September 29, 2013. Kashatus, William. Jackie Robinson: Baseballs Noble Experiment, accessed October 4, 2013, http://www.historynet.com/jackie-robinson#articles. The Library of Congress, American Memory. Baseball, the Color Line, and Jackie Robinson. Accessed October 3, 2013. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/robinson/jr1940.html. Tuck, Stephen. Civil Rights Movement Oxford University, England, 2004. Accessed October 3, 2013. http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/civilrights-movement.