The Introduction of Jackie Robinson into the Baseball League - Essay Example

The attitudes towards Jackie Robinson were mixed and not all baseball fans, the baseball hierarchy and America were enthralled that a black man was found to be a better player of the national sport than many white red-blooded Americans. The result to Jackie Robinson of these views was in many ways devastating because he was subjected to racist comments and attacks over his color. Jackie Robinson when asked to play for a Canadian sister team in Montreal was overjoyed and taken aback by the welcoming views of the people and the city. He was recognized because for his color, but his talent as one of America’s most talented baseball players. This helped Jackie Brown in his return to America in persevering as a baseball player, regardless of his heritage and color.

However, this perseverance and love for the game made Jackie Brown not only an iconic figure in baseball but also in the civil rights movement because it brought to light that African Americans could be heroes too. The introduction of Jackie Brown to play for one of America’s most famous teams the Dodgers illustrated that integration was well on its way. This movement of integration was born out of the Second World War where African Americans played an important role in defending the country. In this defense, these marginalized people realized that their country owed them more respect. The move to introduce Jackie Brown further cemented this but in a celebrity fashion. With the growth of the media after the Second World War with radio and soon television being available throughout celebrity status became more influential in changing the attitudes of the general American populace.

Although legal battles were essential for changing the law, such as the groundbreaking Brown v’s Board of Education, for there to be social change the general populace need to be re-educated. The introduction of Jackie Brown to baseball, meant that it allowed for the civil rights movement to have an iconic figure to persuade African Americans that they were in fact equal to white Americans and should fight for equality. Also, it meant that the figure of Jackie Brown could be used to illustrate to the white population that the stereotypes that permeated the society were in fact wrong about African Americans and that they should support any change to eliminate racial discrimination. Therefore this provided an important basis of support within the American population to support the legal protections that the civil rights movement involved.