Jackie Robinson

& the Civil Rights

Movement

Chapter 23 Part III

Did Jackie Robinson

Have More of an Effect

on Civil Rights as an

Athlete or as a Political

Activist?

“Even before I went to high school and college I resolve not to take insults without retaliating. Growing up in Pasadena, I encountered many situations which I considered unjust. I remember going to the YMCA and being told that Negroes were allowed to use the facilities of the Y only on a certain day of the week…”

- Jackie Robinson

Muir Technical High School

Jackie always enjoyed playing little league in Cali.

and was very good

Four sport athletic

starFootball

Basketball

Track

Baseball

Pasadena Junior College

1937: Entered Pasadena Junior College

Won league baseball championship

Junior college football championship

Set junior college broad jump record

25’ 6.5”

UCLA

Jackie had trouble in school, but ended up going to UCLA He played football, baseball, track and field,

and basketball.1939: enters UCLA on athletic scholarshipFirst student to earn 4 varsity letters in one yearNational champion in long jumpHighest scorer in the pacific coast

conference in basketball All-American football running back until

his eligibility expiredPerformed better in track, basketball, and football than in baseball

After UCLA

1941: Joined an intergraded semi-pro football league Honolulu Bears

He played a game at Pearl Harbor and left 2 days before the Japanese attacked

1942: Drafted to the ArmyStationed at fort Riley in Kansas

As a Professional

Athlete

The Negro Leagues

Established on February 13, 1920 Kansas City, Missouri YMCA

President: Andrew Foster “Father of black baseball”

By 1923 there were two leagues NNL had teams in the South and Midwest

ECL had teams on the East coast

1924: First Negro World Series

1945: Robinson released from the Army and joined the Negro Baseball league

Kansas City Monarchs

Negro League Team in the NNL

Robinson made $400 a month

Jackie played 47 games (1 season): 163 at bats

5 home runs

.387 batting average

13 stolen bases

The Major Leagues

Branch Rickey: President of the Brooklyn DodgersWanted to bring the

ideal black player into the MLB

August 28,1945: Jackie Robinson was interviewed by Branch RickeyJackie showed that he had the character along with his baseball talentRickey wanted a player

who was strong enough not to fight back

October 23,1945: Signs with Montreal Royals, a Dodgers farm team

“I cannot face my God much longer knowing

that his black creatures are held separate and

distinct from his white creatures in the game

that has given me all that I can call my own”

-Branch Rickey

Robinson is seen with Branch Rickey signing a contract with the Brooklyn

Dodgers farm team.

Breaking the Color Barrier

April 1947: Major League debut as Dodgers first baseman wearing #42

Being Bigger Than Life

Received racial threats from white fans and players Fans threw trash on him Opposing pitchers hit him purposely while players

spiked him with their cleats Teammates petitioned to get Jackie off the

Dodgers Players expected him to carry their bags and

shine their shoes

Robinson family received many death threatsHad to obey segregation laws Rode in back of team bus Had to enter restaurants through black entrances

while rest of team went through the front

Threats Target Robinson

Spring Training with the

Dodgers

Spring 1947: Jackie goes to Cuba with the rest of the Brooklyn DodgersSeveral Dodger players signed a

petition refusing to play

• This petition was quickly put down by Branch Rickey who threatened to fire all protesting players.

Becoming an Idol

Jackie excelled for the Dodgers

Never started any fights or said anything about all the abuse he received

Blacks saw Jackie as a hero Eventually, even whites

began to see Jackie as a heroic figure

Became a symbol in American society

Respect from his Teammates

I started the season as a lonely man, often feeling like a black Don Quixote tilting at a lot of white windmills. I ended it feeling like a member of a solid team.

-- Jackie Robinson

Jackie’s Popularity Rises

Life Magazine 1951

Gaining Respect from Whites

Jackie Gains Respect

Jackie Steals Home in World Series

Career Statistics

Batting Average: .311Hits: 1518Homeruns: 137First Game: April 15, 1947Final Game: September 30, 19561947: National League rookie of the year1949: National League MVP6 time All-Star

The Hall of Fame

1962: Inducted into Hall of Fame

Inducted on first ballot 124 votes out of 160

ballots (77.5%)

New Hopes for Black People

Jackie Robinsons success in the major leagues: Proved that blacks could succeed in

America

Democracy became more meaningful to blacks

Increased respect for blacks

As a Political

Activist

“A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.”

-Jackie Robinson

Martin Luther King Jr. and Jackie Robinson before a press conference in NYC

Jackie’s Idols

Though Jackie had similar views and looked up to these two civil rights leaders, he did not agree with their actions.

Jackie went about fighting civil rights differently

Martin Luther King Jr. Malcolm X

Standing up for Black Rights

July 1944: While in the army, Jackie refuses an order to ride in the back of the busFort Hood, Texas

• Robinson was court marshaled

NAACP, black press, and black population were furiousRobinson was found innocent, and

was released from the army

President Truman

July 26, 1948: President Truman desegregates the Army

Executive order 9981

4 years after Jackie’s protest

For the Good of the People

Jackie Robinson Construction Company Built low income housing for the poor and

underprivileged

“Afternoon of Jazz” Annual Concerts in which first year earnings

went to the Southern Christian Leadership Conference

• Supported Civil Rights work and voter registration in the South

Freedom National Bank Founded as well as worked as chairman

• It was a minority-owned bank in Harlem, N.Y.

Civil Rights in Baseball

1972: Jackie Criticizes baseball for having no black managerTwo years later baseball has its first

black manager• 1974: Frank Robinson with the Cleveland

Indians

Letter to the White House

August 1957: Letter to Presidential Assistant Fred Morrow

Letter to President Eisenhower

1958: Letter to President Eisenhower1954: Supreme Court said that all states must integrate schools (Brown v. Board of Education)Eisenhower ordered federal troops to protect black students in Little Rock ArkansasJackie was elated with Eisenhower’s actionsBut thought they were too

lateRobinson’s letter said that he was thankful for their support and reminded them that all black citizens deserve full federal support for all civil rights under the constitution

Integrated

Schooling

Youth march for integrated schoolsIncluded popular

figures such as Martin Luther King Jr., Ralph Bunche, A Phillip Randolph, Roy Wilkins, and Jackie

Marched down Constitutional avenue to the Lincoln memorialAsked all people to

sign a petition and asked for speedy integration of schools

Politics

I guess you'd call me an independent, since I've

never identified myself with one party or

another in politics. . . I always decide my vote by

taking as careful a look as I can at the actual

candidates and issues themselves, no matter

what the party label.

-Jackie Robinson

Nelson Rockefeller’s Presidential (Republican) Campaign Robinson was a national director for

Rockefeller’s campaign

When Rockefeller elected N.Y. governor, Robinson became special assistant for community affairs

Hubert Humphrey’s Presidential (Democratic) Campaign Robinson helped campaign for Humphrey in

presidential primary

Robinson on the Campaign Trail

Nixon v. Kennedy

1960 election: Robinson supported Nixon

over Kennedy

In private meetings with Robinson:

• Nixon seemed friendly, charming, a good

leader, and a big supporter of African

American Civil rights

• Kennedy did not seem as supportive and

had trouble looking Robinson in the eyes.

Jackie wondered if this had to do with a

prejudice against him and other blacks.

Changing Opinion: Robinson

and Kennedy

Robinson no longer feared that Kennedy didn’t support black people and began believing that Kennedy was a good leader This was after the election of

John F. Kennedy

Robinson also began to believe that Kennedy was a better candidate than Nixon was Nixon refused to campaign in Harlem while Kennedy didWhen Henry Cabot Lodge (Nixon running-mate) claimed

that there will be a black member in the Nixon cabinet, Nixon responded that Lodge was speaking for himself, not the both of them.

Kennedy spoke publicly about his objection to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

• This helped assure Robinson that Kennedy was not a racist and would be a supporter of black civil rights

Letter to

President

Kennedy

1961

Signified his growing trust in president Kennedy

Robinson stated that he is happy in the way Kennedy's administration is going thus far

However Jackie wanted Kennedy and his administration to help at a quicker pace.

Letter to President Johnson :

1967

Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders opposed the Vietnam war

Jackie wrote letter to let President Johnson know that he had the support of many black Americans regarding the warWanted Johnson to

remember and support black Americans

To President Lyndon B. Johnson

Robinson, as well as many other Americans, were angry about protestors that were being clubbed in Selma Alabama.This resulted in several deaths and a lot of injuries

Robinsons letter urged him to stop this immediately

Letter to President Nixon’s

Assistant: 1972

To Roland L. Elliot(Presidential Assistant)

Expresses concern about blacks still not obtaining full rights

Jackie warns Government to show more support towards blacks Thinks blacks will

become more aggressive and this could hurt America

Jackie’s Legacy

The Jackie Robinson Foundation

Created in 1973 by Rachel Robinson

Gives minority youth scholarships to attend collegeJackie Robinson Scholars

Each scholar is also given: $7,200 in financial support

Mentors

summer internships and permanent jobs

266 Scholars attending 93 colleges across the United States

Jackie Robinson Field

Home of UCLA baseball

27 seasons since the field was made

A private gift from Hoyt Pardee, an old classmate of Jackie Robinson UCLA ’41

The Jackie Robinson Award

Rookie of the Year Award

1987: became known as The Jackie Robinson Award

60th

Anniversary

April 15, 2007

Over 200 players wore #42 in honor of Jackie RobinsonEvery member of the Dodgers wore #42

To Be Considered

Although Jackie Robinson was

more active and affective as a

political activist, would he have

been as successful if he was

not a superior athlete?

The right of every American to first-class citizenship is the most important issue of our time.

-- Jackie Robinson

The End