Jackie Robinson: Change Leader
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Jackie Robinson: Change Leader
A Door Opens in Baseball
In the 1940s, Major League Baseball was separated by race. Black players were kept out of the major leagues, even though many were talented athletes. This unfair separation was sometimes called the color barrier. Jackie Robinson was an outstanding baseball player who also showed discipline and courage. On April 15, 1947, he made his major-league debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers. He became the first Black player in the modern era of Major League Baseball. His arrival challenged a rule that had excluded Black players for many years. Robinson faced racist insults and unfair treatment from some fans and players. Dodgers executive Branch Rickey believed Robinson would need to meet this hostility with self-control as well as skill. Robinson continued to play with determination. His performance helped show that ability—not race—should decide who gets the chance to play. Robinson’s impact reached beyond baseball. His success encouraged other Black athletes to enter the major leagues and helped more Americans question segregation. He was not the only person working for equality, but his visible role made him an important figure in the struggle for civil rights. The number 42 is closely connected to Robinson. The Dodgers retired his number in 1972. In 1997, Major League Baseball retired number 42 across all teams, so no new player could wear it. Each year on April 15, players honor Robinson by wearing number 42. The day remembers both his achievement and the courage it took to challenge an unfair system.
Find and explain the evidence
Answer using information from the passage. For questions that ask you to explain, include a detail that supports your answer.
- It showed that Black players could compete at the highest level and led more people to question segregation.
- It made every baseball team move to Brooklyn.
- It ended all unfair treatment in the United States in 1947.
- It meant that only players wearing number 42 could join the major leagues.
- One person’s actions can challenge an unfair system.
- Sports records are more important than fairness.
- Every change happens quickly and without opposition.
- A uniform number can solve discrimination by itself.
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