Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson was the first Black player in Major League Baseball's modern era, breaking the color barrier when he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947.
His name now stands for pioneering integration against fierce resistance: She's the Jackie Robinson of women's professional boxing.
The number 42, which he wore, is retired across all MLB teams.
Permanently benching a number
- CooperstownBaseball museum's home village
- Hall of FameInstitution honoring distinguished achievers
- inductionFormal admission process
- plaqueInscribed memorial tablet
immortalized · pioneer · trailblazer · icon · tribute · commemoration · honored · baseball history
Western Long Island borough
- infielderDiamond interior defender
- second basemanMiddle diamond defender
- rookieInexperienced newcomer
- battingSwinging at pitches
MVP · World Series · pennant · diamond · double play · batting average · All-Star · lineup
Ending enforced group separation
- color barrierRacial exclusion from participation
- civil rightsGuaranteed individual legal protections
- racial equalityEqual treatment regardless of ancestry
- African AmericanU.S. Black ethnic identity
Major League Baseball · Jim Crow · segregation · equal opportunity · social change · racial barriers · 1947 · prejudice
Fortitude facing danger
- dignityInnate personal worth
- restraintControl over impulses
- resilienceCapacity to recover quickly
- determinationFirmness of purpose
composure · perseverance · fortitude · grace under pressure · self-control · nobility · strength · endurance
Organized effort against discrimination
- NAACPCivil rights advocacy organization
- advocatePublic cause supporter
- social justiceFair distribution of opportunities
- equalitySame status for all
protest · voice · platform · causes · speaking out · political · community · empowerment
jersey retirement
Permanently benching a number
- CooperstownBaseball museum's home village
- Hall of FameInstitution honoring distinguished achievers
- inductionFormal admission process
plaque · immortalized · pioneer · trailblazer · icon · tribute · commemoration · honored · baseball history · memorabilia
Brooklyn
Western Long Island borough
- infielderDiamond interior defender
- second basemanMiddle diamond defender
- rookieInexperienced newcomer
batting · MVP · World Series · pennant · diamond · double play · batting average · All-Star · lineup · slugger
desegregation
Ending enforced group separation
- color barrierRacial exclusion from participation
- civil rightsGuaranteed individual legal protections
- racial equalityEqual treatment regardless of ancestry
African American · Major League Baseball · Jim Crow · segregation · equal opportunity · social change · racial barriers · 1947 · prejudice · discrimination
courage
Fortitude facing danger
- dignityInnate personal worth
- restraintControl over impulses
- resilienceCapacity to recover quickly
determination · composure · perseverance · fortitude · grace under pressure · self-control · nobility · strength · endurance · patience
civil rights movement
Organized effort against discrimination
- NAACPCivil rights advocacy organization
- advocatePublic cause supporter
- social justiceFair distribution of opportunities
equality · protest · voice · platform · causes · speaking out · political · community · empowerment · change agent
- Baseball LegendsBabe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Lou Gehrig
- Black AthletesMuhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, Serena Williams, LeBron James, Jesse Owens
- Black IconsMartin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, Muhammad Ali
- Famous GeorgiansJimmy Carter, Martin Luther King Jr., Ray Charles, Hank Aaron, Julia Roberts
- middle infielders2B, shortstop, second baseman, Derek Jeter, Cal Ripken Jr.
- Black HistoryMartin Luther King Jr., MLK, Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass
Jackie RobinsonGeorge Wallace
Alabama segregationist politician
Jim Crow · segregationists · white supremacists · separate but equal
Jackie RobinsonBoston Red Sox
Massachusetts professional baseball franchise