“a life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.” – Jackie Robinson
It simply doesn’t matter if you’re a baseball fan or not. Everyone needs to be educated on what Jackie Robinson did for the African-American community not only in baseball, but in society in general.
Think about what current players complain about: contracts, endorsements, the press, etc. Yet the ultimate crap that Robinson had to go through just to wear a Brooklyn Dodgers uniform far exceeds any “disrespect” current players experience. You want respect? Try earning it from people who hated you just because the color of your skin. Try dealing with coaches and players on your own team who didn’t even want to speak to you, yet alone play along side of you.
Let’s keep it positive on his day, however, and reach out to learn more about Jackie Robinson. Parents, please teach your children about what Robinson meant and currently means to baseball. And young people listen and do the research on what #42 meant to society. Without him, some of the posters of current players on your walls might not even exist.
Without Jackie Robinson, there is no Hank Aaron, Ken Griffey Jr. or Ryan Howard. Check out a timeline of how Robinson effected others after being the first African-American Major League Baseball player in 1947 at ESPN.com.
