Jackie Robinson

1
Jackie Robinson

• The First Black Man To Play In The Major
  LeagueJoe Olivarria
• American History
• 23 July 2004

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Table of Contents

• Thesis statement slide 3
• Segregation slide 4-13
• Jackie Robinson growing up slide 14
• Jackie robinson in college slide 15
• Jackie in war slide 16
• Jackie married slide 17
• The Negro Leagues slide 18-19
• Jackie being signed to the Dodgers 21-25
• Jackies first couple of appearances 26-31
• Jackies retirement and death 32-38
• Bibliography slide 39

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THESIS STATEMENT Branch Rickey signed
Jackie Robinson because he knew that he would be
one of the best players on the team and in the
league and he knew that Jackie would try not to
fight back even though he was hurt by someone or
insulted by someone he wouldnt fight
4
Segregation

• The struggle for equal education opportunities
  continues. As of 1995, the U.S. Justice
  Department reported that it was involved in 513
  integration cases with pending court orders. And
  Civil Rights experts say that there are probably
  as many cases existing where the federal
  government is not involved.

5

Segregation By the mid-20th century, racial
tensions had escalated and demonstrations swelled
for voting rights and school integration.
Beginning with the Montgomery bus boycott in 1955
lead by Reverend Martin Luther King, conflicts
between the Civil Rights movement and those who
would fight to maintain "the white way of life"
would lead to violence and, in some cases,
murder. Between 1948 and 1965, over two hundred
Black churches and homes in the Deep South were
the target of bombings
6
SegregationRacial segregation in its modern
form started in the late 1800s. but slavery
existed more than 200 years before the American
Civil War (1861 to 1865). After the war, there
was form discrimiation especially in the south.

7
Segregation 1896 in a precedent- settings
case, 30 years after the abolition of slavery,
the supreme court rules in Plessy vs.. Ferguson
that it is reasonable for a state to racially
segregate persons within its jurisdiction.
8
Segregation Justice Warren rules separate
education facilities are inherently unequal in
brown vs. the board of education. Dec. 1955 Rosa
Parks is arrested in Montgomery, Al when she
refuses to give up her seat to a white man and
move to the back of the bus a young black
minister, Martin Luther King JR. leads blacks in
a boycott of this public transportation
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The one dissenting justice in opposition
of ruling, John Marshall Harlan argues in vain
that Our Constitution is color blind However
Plessy vs.. Ferguson establishes that racial
segregation does not violate the 14th amendment
if separate facilities are are substantially
equal
10
. Segregation Wallace
appeared at a rally for Georgia s Marvin
Griffin, who was running against a candidate with
more moderate views on desegregation. Wallace
also supported Mississippis governor Ross
Barnett in the dramatic confrontation between
state and federal authority over the admission of
the university of Mississippis first black
student, James Meredith. The stage was set for
his own dramatic stand at the University of
Alabama.
11
Segregation 1865.In the wake of the
Reconstruction, legal enactments called "Jim Crow
Laws" are adopted by Southern States to enforce
segregation of whites and blacks in schools,
public transportation, theaters, hotels and
restaurants.
Congress passes Civil Rights
acts guaranteeing equal access to public
accommodations. Some states, including many in
the South, choose to ignore the rulings and
continue their practices of discrimination and
segregation.
12
The Major Leagues had not had an African-American
player since 1889, when baseball became
segregated. When Jackie first donned a Brooklyn
Dodger uniform, he pioneered the integration of
professional athletics in America. By breaking
the color barrier in baseball, the nation's
preeminent sport, he courageously challenged the
deeply rooted custom of racial segregation in
both the North and the South.
13
Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier
was a solution to segregation in sports by the
players getting along with him be friends and
great teammates with each other. Now African
Americans are allowed to play in any professional
sport they have signed a contract with.
14
JACKIE ROBINSON GROWING UP Jack Roosevelt
Robinson was born in Cairo, Georgia in 1919 to a
family of sharecroppers. His mother, Mallie
Robinson, single-handedly raised Jackie and her
four other children. They were the only black
family on their block, and the prejudice they
encountered only strengthened their bond. From
this humble beginning would grow the first
baseball player to break Major League Baseball's
color barrier that segregated the sport for more
than 50 years.
15
Jackie in college

• Jackie Robinson was the first athlete to get a
  patch for 4 different sports at the college of
  (UCLA). After collage he left to go to the
  marines and then left to play for the Negro
  leagues with the Kansas city monarchs.

16
Jackie Robinson in War

• After collage Jackie Robinson joined the army in
  World War II as a lieutenent for the United
  States of America.

17
Jackie married Rachel Isum, a nursing student he
met at UCLA, in 1946. As an African-American
baseball player, Jackie was on display for the
whole country to judge. Rachel and their three
children, Jackie Jr., Sharon and David, provided
Jackie with the emotional support and sense of
purpose essential for bearing the pressure during
the early years of baseball.
18
The Negro Leagues

• In professional baseball there were no black
  skinned players allowed in the major leagues.
  They had a league called the Negro Leagues were
  it was all black.

19
Jackie Robinson in the Negro Leagues

• Jackie Robinson played for the Kansas City
  Monarchs in the Negro Leagues he was amazed of
  how white people treated them when they would get
  off the bus to play a away game. Jackie was
  always busy by giving to the poor people mostly
  the black because they needed it more

20
Jackie being signed to the Dodgers

• Jackie was signed by the the owner of the
  Brooklyn Dodgers Branch Rickey, but before he was
  signed he made a deal with Branch Rickey that he
  would not fight against his teammates or other
  players because a lot of players will be out to
  hurt him during the games and he cant fight no
  matter if they hit first or they keep insulting

21
Robinson was able to maintain his demeanor. He
made a commitment to Rickey that for the next
three years regardless of the racial abuses he
would receive he would not fight back. Rickey
impressed upon Robinson the need to turn the
other cheek. He thoroughly understood that his
actions would be center stage and that he had to
show the discipline to hold his tongue. On
October 23rd Branch Rickey announced that he had
signed Jackie Robinson to the Brooklyn Dodgers
and that he would start the season with their
farm organization the Montreal Royals. The other
club owners voted 15 to 1 against Rickey and his
actions, but Commissioner A.B. Chandler dismissed
their verdict
22

It was actually Boston, not Brooklyn that showed
initial interest in Robinson and two other
players Sam Jethroe and Marvin Williams.
Political pressure from Boston City Councilor
Isador H.Y. Muchnick prompted the tryout. He
threatened to take away the Red Sox permit to
hold games in Fenway Park on Sundays if efforts
were not made to integrate the ball club. Plans
were put together by Pittsburgh Courier'
sportswriter Wendell Smith. The tryouts led to a
dead end as none of the three were signed.
Robinson always believed there was no intent to
sign any one of them. Ironically, Boston in 1959
would be the last team in the majors to integrate
their ballclub.
23
Jackie Robinson's signing with the Brooklyn
Dodgers was the most significant event to occur
in baseball since World War II. Although Robinson
may not have been the best athlete in the Negro
Leagues it was his overall character, education,
and social upbringing that appealed to Branch
Rickey. Collectively, they paved the way for
integrating the game, allowing some of the
greatest players to participate who had
previously been restricted to their own league.
24
After playing in Venezuela during the winter,
Robinson joined the Royals in Florida for the
1946 spring training season. Robinson's venture
into white organized baseball was opposed from
the start by coaches, teammates, other teams, and
many white fans. Facing racist taunts and
segregated living conditions, Robinson managed to
lead the Class AAA International League in
batting (.349) and runs scored (113), and helped
bring his team to the league championship.
25
In the spring of 1947, Robinson joined the
Brooklyn Dodgers in Cuba for spring training.
Several Dodgers circulated a petition to exclude
Robinson. Dodger manager Leo Durocher told the
protesters they could leave if they wanted.
Nobody left and Robinson began "baseball's great
experiment" in April 1947, becoming the first
African American in the major leagues since Moses
Fleetwood Walker had played in 1885. He set the
league on fire, earning Rookie of the Year honors
with a .297 batting average and a league-leading
29 stolen bases.
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27
Jackies first professional appearance

• Robinson made his first professional appearance
  on August 18th, 1946 going 4 for 5. He hit a home
  run, had four runs batted in, scored four runs,
  and stole two bases. The year however was
  unnerving for Robinson who had to withstand the
  racial slurs and ridicule he committed to Rickey
  that he would endure

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Jackie Robinson First Game In Major Leagues

• Jackie Robinson was the first African American to
  play in the major leagues ever. His first few
  games were a bad start but after a few games he
  got over his rookie jeepers and won rookie of the
  year

29
Jackie Robinsons struggle

• Jackie Robinson played his first Major League
  game on April 15th, 1947 at first base. He
  struggled the first part of the season going
  hitless his first game. His initial slump was
  probably due in part to the taunting he took in
  every ballpark from fans and opposing team members

30
s He received death threats against himself
and his family. His teammates were also subject
to harassment. National League President Ford
Frick squashed many of the potential threats as
teams stated they would strike if they had to
play against Robinson. Frick was deliberate with
his remarks stating "I don't care if half the
league strikes. Those who do will encounter quick
retribution and will be suspended and I don't
care if it wrecks the National League for five
years. This is the United States of America and
one citizen has as much right to play as
another". Commissioner of Baseball A.B. Chandler
equally backed Robinson and the Dodgers.
31
Robinson quickly overcame his rookie year jitters
and showed baseball his real talents. His
base-running skills were unmatched. Over the next
ten years he would steal home 19 times. The
Dodgers won the pennant in 1947 and Jackie
Robinson, at age 28, was named the Rookie of the
Year, an award that would be named after him
beginning in 1987.
In 1949 Robinson moved to second base and won
the National League's Most Valuable Player award
while leading the Dodgers to the National League
title. He led the league in stolen bases with 37
and finished on top with a .342 batting average.
He also played in his first All-Star game
alongside Roy Campanella and Don Newcombe.
32
In 1956 the Dodgers again won the National League
title, but it was other news that overshadowed
their success. Walter O' Malley was moving the
franchise out west to Los Angeles. Additionally,
Jackie Robinson had done an article with Look
magazine where he indicated his desire to retire.
But, he had never held discussions with the
Dodgers over his intent. Physical problems began
to wear on Robinson and his confrontations with
the front office were beginning to take their
toll.
33
Jackie Retiring

• . Robinson had many jobs when he retired being a
  vice president of community affairs for Chock
  Full O Nut Co.. He resigned in 1964 and helped
  form and became a chairman of the freedom
  national bank in Harlem. He became a strong civil
  rights advocate while serving in these positions.

34
Fans at Jacobs Field received a limited edition
postcard of Robinson. Also, the Cleveland Indians
awarded two scholarships to local athletes in
honor of the late Dodgers great. At The Ballpark
in Arlington, Bobby Bragan talked about what his
former Brooklyn teammate -- and the Dodgers
executive who signed him meant to the
game. "Branch Rickey and Jackie Robinson to me,
combined, made the greatest contribution of the
20th century other than Billy Graham," said
Bragan, 86. "We traveled by train back then and
on the first road trip, a few of us didn't want
to sit with Jackie in the dining car," he said.
"But on the second trip, we were fighting to be
the ones to sit with him. He turned us around
like that
35
At Wrigley Field, managers Dusty Baker of the
Chicago Cubs and Lloyd McClendon of the
Pittsburgh Pirates spoke of what the day
represented. Along with Montreal's Frank
Robinson, they are the only three black managers
in the majors. "I don't necessarily have to hear
his name or have a special day to recognize or
respect what Jackie Robinson and other great
minorities have done to pave the way for myself
and others. I'm grateful every day," McClendon
said. "Certainly generations of fans have
changed, and knowledge slips away a little bit.
But baseball has done a nice job. We ought to
keep that up. We shouldn't forget the past. I
think because of those struggles, we have a
better game today," he said.
36
Jackie Robinsons death

• Robinson developed diabetes and had a heart
  attack. He suffered from a second heart attack
  and died October 24, 1972 at his home in
  Stamford, Connecticut less than a few months
  after the Dodgers retired his number. Two weeks
  prior he was honored in pre-game festivities
  during the second game of the 1972 World Series
  in Cincinnati for his work against drug addiction.

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Robinson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of
Fame in 1962, his first year of eligibility. On
April 15th, 1997 President Bill Clinton
participated in a ceremony honoring the 50th
Anniversary of Jackie Robinson's debut. On that
day, Major League Baseball announced that the
number 42 would be retired throughout the Major
League, an event that was symbolic of the impact
Robinson had on our National Pastime.
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Jackie Robinson's life and legacy will be
remembered as one of the most important in
American history. In 1997, the world celebrated
the 50th Anniversary of Jackie's breaking Major
League Baseball's color barrier. In doing so, we
honored the man who stood defiantly against those
who would work against racial equality and
acknowledged the profound influence of one man's
life on the American culture. On the date of
Robinson's historic debut, all Major League teams
across the nation celebrated this milestone. Also
that year, on United States Post Office honored
Robinson by making him the subject of a
commemorative postage stamp. On Tuesday, April 15
President Bill paid tribute to Jackie at Shea
Stadium in New York in a special ceremony.
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Bibliographyhttp//www.diamondicons.com/JRob
insonBiography.htmlife story on Jackie robinson
from birth to death lthttp// www.
Africana.com/archive/articles/tt_088.aspgtThe
year the dodgers signed him and when he made a
deal with Branch Rickey that he would not fight
no matter how much they hit you or insult you
http//www.JackieRobinson.com/about/viewheadline.p
hp?id2426 The great years of Jackie Robinsons
career with the dodgers like when they won the
world series or when Jackie got rookie of the
year and MVP of the National League