Jackie Robinson
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As anyone with eyes and a conscious mind recognizes, a human of less-than-white complexion in America must be an athlete, minister, cinema star or politician to gain any respectability as a full-fledged human being. Thus, Rampersad’s depiction of Jackie Robinson as more than the first black human to hit a homerun for humanity over the color barrier of Jim Crow in sports is on the money. His depiction of Robinson as being of the “right stuff” in the “right place” at the “right time” to be perfect for the role in doing so is his insightful thesis in Jackie Robinson. Rampersad’s book is full of details, with many of the documents, photographs and personal memorabilia the Princeton professor had access to released by Robinson’s widow, Rachel, for the first time. However, this book does not focus on baseball and athletics as much as it does on the influences which allowed Robinson to have the courage and conviction of his principles as he smashed the color barrier in professional baseball with heroism and decency that cut far beyond the foul lines. His mother, his wife and his religious faith were the three most powerful influences in Robinson’s life. Like Martin Luther King, Jr., Robinson remained convinced that god was on the side of anyone fighting for the right to basic humanity and human worth, and this was the higher purpose for which he used his athletic skills to gain recognition. However, this goal did not end the
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on’s deep faith and personal convictions made him perfectly suited to be the first to do so. Rickey knew whoever represented the first black would have to be an excellent ballplayer and a man who could deal successfully with the racial taunts, the hatred and the separatism Robinson would be subjected to once on the Dodgers. However, Robinson was aware that for the black man to succeed in a white controlled society, it would take a cooperative effort with whites and blacks to overcome the institutionalized barriers in racist America. He felt Rickey represented the white man whom he could trust in this goal as much as Rickey believed Robinson was made of the right stuff to be the first black to start the integration of America’s favorite pastime. Robinson was of the stuff that made him understand he would only get ahead by working with white people, not by resenting, mistrusting and fighting them on an unequal playing field, “The white world was unreliable, even treacherous. But Jack’s attitude was different. He had pride and anger, but because of his skills as an athlete he had been too deeply involved with white authority, with white coaches and administrators, who depended on him even as he depended on them, not to know th
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Approximate Word count = 1844
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)
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