English practice 40

Jackie Robinson: More Than a Ballplayer

When baseball resumes in America every spring, one April day is always reserved to honor Jackie Robinson, the man who broke the color barrier of America's national pastime. While his accomplishments on the baseball field was⁴⁶ numerous and impressive, his civil rights activism was according⁴⁷ to his widow Rachel Robinson, equally important and often overlooked without being noticed.⁴⁸

The tenacious and spirited way for the Brooklyn Dodgers⁴⁹ Jackie Robinson played baseball was a reflection of his focus on civil rights. From the outset of the "Great Experiment" of having African-Americans in baseball; he⁵⁰ knew that his performance on the field would be a determining factor in sports segregation. Jackie gradually converted jeers and harassment into cheers and acceptance because white spectators⁵¹ could see his immense talent from any seat in the stadium. Jackie became a highly respected figure by continually succeeding on and off the field, all the while displaying stoic restraint in the face of initial prejudice.

[1] The vast amount of energy Jackie expended avoiding a myriad of potential pitfalls could have caused an ordinary man to wilt; for example,⁵³ Jackie instinctively and relentlessly increased his efforts for positive civil rights changes, both in his sport and in the African-American community at large. [2] While many athletes today use their⁵⁴ status to garner endorsements and live as celebrities, Jackie constantly utilized his status to stimulate civil rights advancements. [3] He often used his baseball travels as opportunities to speak publicly to blacks in U.S. cities about ending segregation and vigilantly defending their rights. [4] Post-baseball, Jackie became an entrepreneur, but⁵⁶ his focus did not stray as he found time to write impassioned letters and telegrams to various U.S. presidents during the civil rights movement. [5] He had the status to demand that they too remain firmly focused on civil rights measures.

Though Jackie Robinson's baseball exploits may be most widely known⁵⁸ than his tireless efforts in the civil rights movement his⁵⁹ astonishing courage on the baseball field was itself a resounding stance against segregation and inequality. His numerous detractors consistently found that not only was Jackie undeterred, but he was excelling in his efforts. As a result,⁶⁰ the spark of positive change was ignited. Jackie turned that spark for civil rights into a torch and carried it his entire life.