Essay on Jackie Robinson

Submitted By gabdev97
Words: 481
Pages: 2

Gabbie DeVecco
2/25/15

2. Jackie Robinson received a great amount of disrespect from people who believed in segregation in baseball and in normal life. However, Robinson gained much support from fellow African - Americans and people who believed in desegregation. Even most of the players on Robinson’s team did not like him, but they then realized how special Jackie was. Some of Robinson’s teammates were outwardly supportive of him when others hid it from the public eye. Some went out of their way to even protect Robinson. In the film “42”, they show a scene depicting the Phillies’ manager, Ben Chapman, yelling racial slurs at Jackie Robinson when he is up at bat. This scene can be difficult to watch because most of the things Chapman would say were very demeaning and degrading. This just makes the audience want to punch Chapman in the face, like Robinson probably felt. Then you see one of Robinson’s teammates, Eddie Stanky, come out of the dugout and start arguing with Chapman. This is satisfying to see since it was what most people wanted to do themselves. I think “being under fire” propels us to heroism because of our instincts. Our natural instincts tell us to do what we think is right before it is too late. We see a chance to make a difference and we take it before it is gone. Through his courage and control, Jackie Robinson was able to prove to people how wrong segregation was. Although he received little respect from one set of people, the support of others overshadowed them. As we look back at Robinson and the people who stood by him, it can be seen we can all make a difference.
3. As a symbol of change, Jackie Robinson had to endure an immoderate amount of disrespect from those who did not believe in desegregation. It is hard to imagine what Robinson went through unless it was experienced firsthand. Through his