As the first African American professional baseball player, Jackie Robinson changed the world of baseball forever and is still remembered as a hero.
Jackie Robinson, 1939, DPLA.
Historical Context
Jackie Robinson played professional baseball in the 1940's during a time of segregation and racism. The 40's in the United States were a time of segregation across the country, but it was really bad in the South. For example, Jackie's mother moved his family to Pasadena, California from Cairo, Georgia to give her children better opportunities in their lives.
Though Jackie Robinson didn't grow up in the South, he still faced discrimination and segregation growing up in California, but not as bad as if he had lived in Alabama or Mississippi. There were a lot of people who wanted to see him fail. He received a lot of hate from his teammates, other teams, officials, and fans because of the color of his skin. Jackie recieved insults and threats from many people who wanted to see him fail, but he kept working hard and eventually got to where he wanted to go. Jackie said in his letter to President Kennedy, "It's not about how much has been done, it's about how much has to be done."
Jackie Robinson holding a basketball at UCLA, 1948, DPLA.
