Playing sports has not always been equal, no matter how great you may be, how athletic you are on the field, how great of a person you are, or how many barriers you break down. Jackie Robinson, a six-time World Series Champion for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was the first African American man to play in Major League Baseball.Â
Jackie was not just one of the best baseball players to ever step onto the field, winning many awards for his baseball abilities on the field. Jackie Robinson not only paved the way for other people of color in the world of sports but was also actively involved in the Civil Rights movement. Helping integrate baseball and expanding it to all players, while also dealing with intense backlash just for the color of his skin takes dignity and class. In 1947, Robinson led the league in stolen bases after not even a full year of playing outside of the Negro Leagues. He also was rewarded with the inaugural Rookie of the Year award. And in 1949 he won the National League’s Most Valuable Player. Jackie’s breakthrough in the major leagues not only showed how talented he truly was, but how there was space for everyone in athletics and that it was time to open these doors. He ensured equal playing opportunity for everyone, while also being a role model for other athletes who were unsure if they fit the mold for what an athlete should look like.Â
Although Jackie Robinson entered the MLB many years ago, his impact is still felt not only throughout the baseball community, but also across all major sports divisions. Major League Baseball celebrates Jackie and all of his efforts to change the path for others and proving that talent combined with hard work can prove success for anyone. For me, my connection to the story of Jackie Robinson and the personal hardships he had to go through makes me want to be more vulnerable as a human being. I may not be in the same situation of carving out a path for myself in the world of baseball, but Jackie Robinson’s story of success through paving the way in incredibly difficult times will forever be engraved in my memory. Not only as a human being but as someone who also wants to make a difference in the world. Jackie’s impact continued to go much farther than just baseball. Being the first baseball player to appear on the U.S. Postage stamp. His family also continues to show support for Jackie’s efforts while having a Jackie Robinson Museum and a Jackie Robinson Foundation founded by Jackie’s wife Racheal Robinson in 1973 in memory of her late husband. This foundation aims to educate and inspire students and athletes in memory of Jackie.Â