Jackie Robinson
He solved societal problems with nonviolence
Evie Wysong and Lauren Thomas
Who is Jackie Robinson?
~He was born in 1919 and died in 1973.
~ Jackie Robinson was the first African American person to play in the Major Leagues for baseball (1947).
~ Since he was African American, racial comments and threats became a big part of his life.
~However, he learned to deal with this by being nonviolent and ignoring these hurtful comments.
~He became national MVP in 1949.
~For more information click here http://www.biography.com/people/jackie-robinson-9460813
Obstacles that Jackie Robinson Conquered
In the article, "Jackie Robinson-Biography" (http://www.biography.com/people/jackie-robinson-9460813), it explains how Jackie Robinson faced racial inequality in sports.
~His own teammates threatened to go on strike if they had to play ball with a black man.
~Players on the opposing teams threatened to never play the Dodgers.
~Crowds bashed Jackie Robinson.
In the article, "Jackie Robinson-Biography"(http://www.biography.com/people/jackie-robinson-9460813), it tells how Jackie Robinson dealt with violations of civil rights.
~He was arrested and court-martialed after refusing to give up his seat and move to the back of a segregated bus.
In the story, "The Noble Experiment", it describes how Jackie Robinson dealt with violent protests.
~Players on opposing teams who did decide to play were very aggressive in their play.
A Ballplayer with Guts Not to Fight Back
Do these Problems Still Exist today?
While racism in the article, "Who You Calling a Redskin" (http://discoverer.prod.sirs.com/discoweb/disco/do/article?urn=urn%3Asirs%3AUS%3BARTICLE%3BART%3B0000360784) does not target African Americans, it certainly targets another race. This article talks about how Native Americans dislike the Washington Redskins using their race as their mascot. This shows that there is still racism in sports. (hyperlink)
Violations of civil rights is also a popular topic in the media. The article, "N.Y. Police Officer Charged with Civil Rights Violation" (http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/17/justice/new-york-police-officer/) proves this statement. It talks about how a police officer allegedly arrested a black man which is similar to how Jackie Robinson was arrested for not giving up his seat on a bus. (hyperlink)
Finally, the last problem that Jackie Robinson faced that still exists today is the practice of violent protesting. In the article, "Ferguson: 2 Police Officers Shot After Chief Resigns" (http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2015/03/reports-two-police-officers-shot-during-ferguson-protest-after-police-chief-resigns) there is a good example of how the problem still exists. It talks about how the African Americans in Ferguson were furious about the authorities targeting black people. Violence occurred when two police officers got shot during their protesting. (hyperlink)
Solutions to Today's Problems
References
Banks, Paul M. "Who You Calling a Redskin?." USA Today (Farmingdale). Jan. 2014: 24-26. SIRS Discoverer. Web. 24 Mar. 2015.
Botelho,Greg,and Catherine E. Shoichet. “Ferguson: 2 Police Officers Shot after Chief Resigns- CNN.com. “CNN. Cable News Network, n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2015
"Jackie Robinson." Bio. A&E Television Networks, 2015. Web. 27 Feb. 2015.
Remizowski, CNN, Leigh, ed. “N.Y. Police Officer Charged with Civil Rights Violation.” N.Y. Police Officer Charged with Civil Rights Violation (17 Oct. 2011)
Robinson, Jackie, and Alfred Duckett. "The Noble Experiment." I Never Had It Made. New York: Putnam, 1972. N. pag. Print.
Image URL
https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3194/2559146397_fe783c8a41.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/Jackie_Robinson_Kansas_City_Monarchs.jpg