Remembering Jackie Robinson
Click here for the original post by Dana Bell-Russel and for more links to information about the great Jackie Robinson.
Baseball still holds a special place in the culture of the United States. As this year’s season opened around the nation’s capital, we began to see more and more people wearing baseball caps, shirts and jackets with their team’s favorite logo.
Jackie Robinson in his Kansas City Monarchs Uniform
Though baseball has been a part of the culture of the United States for many years, not all were allowed to play in the major leagues. The Library of Congress timeline “Baseball, the Color Line and Jackie Robinson” documents the history of minority involvement in baseball, including April 15, 1947, the day Jackie Robinson broke the color line established in 1887.
In spite of abuse from both baseball fans and other teams, as well as threats against him and his family, Robinson played for ten seasons with the Brooklyn (later Los Angeles) Dodgers, had a lifetime batting average of .311, and helped the Dodgers win the National League pennant several times. In 1955, he helped them win the World Series. His number 42 was permanently retired by the Major Leagues in 1997.
The Primary Source Set Baseball Across a Divided Society provides a teaching guide and easy access to primary sources including images, sheet music and an early Edison film to help students learn more about baseball and its role in various communities in the United States.
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