Student Reproducible 1B (Grades 6–8)

Jackie Robinson the stressful conditions Jackie with daughter Robinson would face in the Majors. About Sharon Rickey role-played a racist fan shouting angry insults. A spiteful My opponent might spike him with metal cleats. Rickey was testing Father whether my father would have the strength of character to fight By Sharon Robinson Author of The Hero Two Doors back with his bat rather than his Down and Promises to Keep fist. He agreed to this approach. Two months later, he signed with the Montreal Royals, the Dodgers™ pril 15 marks the forward to break baseball’s minor league team. anniversary of Jackie color barrier. He studied the As predicted, Jackie Robinson Robinson’s breaking of field, using scouts to explore played baseball against amazing theA color barrier in Major League the pool of players. There were odds. He fought back with perfectly Baseball. A student once asked many Negro League players who timed bunts, hard line drives, and me: “What is the color barrier?” Baseball’s “color barrier” signifies Rickey was testing whether my father the time in American history when black- and brown-skinned would have the strength of character to fight ballplayers were kept out of the back with his bat rather than his fist.” Majors. In 1947, my father, Jackie Robinson, broke through that were well-known and proven stolen bases. On April 15, 1947, Jack barrier and opened the door for professional baseball players. Roosevelt Robinson stepped onto others to follow. Players such as Satchel Paige and the grass of Ebbets Field™ as a Fifty years later, Breaking Josh Gibson certainly headed member of the Brooklyn Dodgers™. Barriers: In Sports, In Life was the list provided by Mr. Rickey’s He went on to play 10 seasons, created to help diverse students scouts, but they agreed on Jack earning such awards as Rookie of understand Jackie Robinson’s Roosevelt Robinson. the Year and Most Valuable Player. legacy of change. By participating The scouts told Mr. Rickey It took 13 long seasons before in this program, you’ll come to that during his season with the every Major League Baseball team understand the values that made Negro League team the Kansas had at least one African-American my father successful on the field, City Monarchs, Jackie Robinson player on its roster. Today, Major and that also guided him as a played shortstop. He hit .387, League Baseball players come from parent. You’ll likewise discover perfected his skill at stealing around the world and continue to strengths in your own character to bases, and was selected for the break barriers of culture, language, help you overcome barriers in your league’s All-Star Game. race, and religion. Like you, they life. Let’s get started! They presented his college face barriers and meet challenges American baseball became statistics next. Rickey learned that with the same set of values that popular during the Civil War. Briefly while at UCLA, Robinson was the helped Jackie Robinson succeed on in the late 1800s, two black players, leading basketball scorer in his and off the field. Bud Fowler and Moses Fleetwood conference, the national champion Walker, played alongside whites. in the long jump, an All-American But by 1890, Major League halfback in football, and a varsity Baseball, like most of America, was baseball shortstop. In “segregated.” Until 1947, black- and fact, he was the first brown-skinned players were in the athlete at UCLA to Jackie Negro Leagues, while whites played letter in four sports Robinson sliding into in the Majors. in a single year. home, 1949 In 1945, Branch Rickey, In a now-famous president and general manager of meeting, Branch Photo, top: Courtesy of the Robinson Family. bottom: © AP Images. the Brooklyn Dodgers™, stepped Rickey painted