Jennifer+Beichner+2


 * Jennifer Beichner**
 * How did Jackie Robinson deal with the racial hardships of the being the first African American to play on a major league baseball team?**

Nice! Also, a very interesting person to explore. I'm looking forward to reading your paper!-Crystal

Sources

1. [] 2. [] 3. [|http://www.historynet.com/jackie-robinson#articles] 4. []

Jennifer Beichner
 * (Rough Draft Historical Inquiry)**

On April 15th, 1947 Jack Roosevelt Robinson became the first African American to play major league baseball for the Brooklyn Dodgers. The 28 year old made his debut with the Dodgers against the Boston Braves in front of more than 25,000 spectators at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York. However, the baseball game was not the main focus of the game. Robinson stole the spotlight as the first African American to play Major League Baseball. The racial tension of the day created an environment where many people were less than thrilled to see Robinson on the field. Jackie Robinson was an all around stand out athlete while he attended UCLA. Robinson became the first athlete to letter in four varsity sports while at UCLA: track, football, basketball and baseball. After UCLA Robinson served in the U.S. army for two years, from 1942 to 1944. Robinson’s life took a major turn of events when he was contacted by Branch Rickey, the Dodgers president and general manager. Unbeknownst to Robinson, he was about to be asked to join the Brooklyn Dodgers and break the color line in Major League Baseball. Robinson is known for becoming the first African American to play major league baseball. However, Robinson entered the league in a time that the idea of an African American playing a professional sport was taboo; it just did not happen. The strong movement and protest for African American equality was not in full swing until the mid-1950s and 1960s. Robinson joining the Brooklyn Dodgers shocked the country. Schools and other public facilities were still segregated. America watching an African American play for a major league baseball team was truly astonishing. The fact that Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers during a time with such great racial tension provokes interest in how Robinson handled being the first African American to break the color line in professional baseball. The question generated for this inquiry asks: “How did Jackie Robinson deal with the hardships of being the first African American to play major league baseball?” From this inquiry, inference can be made. Through personal interviews and statements from Robinson the hardships that he faced are known. For one, Robinson knew what he was getting himself into and chose to do his best to not react to the hate. Through these interviews it is revealed that Robinson experienced racial hate from fans, opposing teams and his own teammates. **Historical Context:** [|**http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/civil-rights-movement**] During the 1940s major strides towards the Civil Rights Movement were being made. However, there was still a long road ahead for the equality of African Americans. In the early 1930s race riots occur in major cities. African Americans are killed in major cities such as Detroit and the Harlem section of New York City. In 1946, the year before Robinson plays his first game with the Brooklyn Dodgers, The Morgan V. Virginia Supreme Court Case rules that Virginia law requiring segregated seating on interstate buses is an unconstitutional constraint on commerce. This same year President Truman appoints a presidential committee on civil rights to respond to the violence occurring against African Americans nationally. By 1947, the Presidential committee on civil rights submits its report on the treatment of African American around the country. The report recommends establishing a permanent enforcement of powers, ending segregation in the armed forces. The report also recommends establishing federal legislation that will punish those who participate in the violent activity of lynching. Lastly, the report calls for securing African American voting rights and integrating interstate transportation. While major progress is underway for the equality of African American citizens, there are still major steps that need to improve the treatment of African Americans around the country. Robinson takes the spotlight on the Major League Baseball field right in the middle of the Civil Rights Movement. African Americans cannot sit on a bus with white people, let alone play a professional sport while all of America is watching. Branch Rickey was the man behind Robinson’s signing to the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. By the 1940s, Major League Baseball had been racially segregated for many years. The black press and some members of the white press had been campaigning for the integration of Major League Baseball for sometime. Rickey’s “great experiment” set into motion change for Major League Baseball. In 1945 Rickey and Robinson agreed to a contract that would bring Robinson into the Major Leagues in 1947. At the time Robinson was playing for the Negro League’s Kansas City Monarchs. Rickey’s “great experiment” signing Robinson to the Dodgers forever changed the Jim Crow practices of baseball. Racial intolerance was not the only concern in integrating the Major Leagues. There were also economic and other complex factors that added to the lasting continuation of segregated baseball. Economically, many owners of major league baseball teams feared that they would loose money by integrating baseball. Owners of Major League teams rented their stadiums to Negro League teams while they were on the road. If baseball were to become integrated many owners realized that Negro Leagues would probably not last with loosing their best players to the Major Leagues. Integrating baseball would loose money for the Major Leagues and eliminate the whole institution of the Negro Leagues. Racially, many people thought that the white audience would not want to attend Major League baseball games to watch black players. [] [] **Analysis:** From the reading of interviews with Jackie Robinson and Branch Rickey inference can be made about how Robinson handled the racial hardships of being the first African American to play Major League Baseball. The first inference to be made is that Robinson had a positive attitude in dealing with racial hate from the start of his journey with Major League Baseball. The second inference is that Robinson knew that he would have to deal with a lot of racial intolerance before he signed with the Dodgers. The first inference that can be made is that Robinson had a positive attitude in dealing with the racial hate from the start of his journey with Major League Baseball. Robinson’s first meeting with Rickey took place on August 28, 1945 and lasted about three hours. During this meeting Rickey grilled Robinson with racist scenarios that he may have to deal with both on and off the baseball field, “Do you think you can do it? Make good in organized baseball?” (1) Ricky grills Robinson. Rickey presents Robinson with a controversial scenario that could occur on the field: “Suppose I’m a player… in the heat of an important ball game.” He drew back as if to charge at Robinson. ‘Suppose I collide with you at second base. When I get up, I yell, ‘You dirty, black son of a –‘ ‘He finished the castigation and added calmly, ‘what do you do?’ (2) Robinson responds: Mr. Rickey, ‘do you want a ballplayer who’s afraid to fight back?’ (3). As the interview goes on Rickey continues to hound Robinson with scenarios that he will most likely encounter as the first African American to break that baseball color line. The next scenario Rickey presents Robinson with takes place off the field:


 * The Rest of The Story Rough Draft**

The Rest of the Story Jackie Robinson Rough Draft

The year was 1946 and the Supreme Court had just ruled that Virginia law requiring segregated seating on interstate buses an unconstitutional constraint on commerce in the Morgan V. Virginia case. This very same year president Truman appointed a presidential committee to respond to the growing hatred and violence occurring towards African Americans around the country. This very committee submitted a report regarding the unfair and harsh treatment of African Americans, establishing that

The year was 1946 and the Supreme Court had just ruled that Virginia law requiring segregated seating on interstate buses an unconstitutional constraint on commerce in the Morgan V. Virginia case. This very same year president Truman appointed a presidential committee to respond to the growing hatred and violence occurring towards African Americans around the country. In 1945 a man by the name of Branch Rickey decided to tamper with the establishment of Major League Baseball. For years Major League Baseball had been a white man’s sport, just like every other institution in America. For years the black press had been campaigning for the integration of Major League Baseball, and Rickey was the man to set this into motion. Rickey was an intelligent man; he knew that man to break the color-line in Major League Baseball would have to strong; not only physically, but mentally as well. He needed a man that would not react to racial hatred and violence. He needed someone level headed and strong enough to persevere in the face of oppression. Of course Rickey was concerned with the racial intolerance that would surely occur from having a black man play in the Major Leagues. However, there were other concerns weighing on Rickey’s mind that had nothing to do with racial hatred and violence and just like everything else that makes the world go round it had to do with money. One might think how would money have to do with bringing a black man to play baseball? As it would turn out money had a lot to do with hesitation Rickey and others felt about having Blacks play on all white Major League teams. You see, before integration, African Americans had their own baseball league called the Negro League. These Negro Leagues rented out the fields of Major League Baseball teams while they were on the road during away games. Renting out their fields meant money for the Major League Baseballs teams. So lets say Branch Rickey was to bring an African American man to play for his team, The Dodgers. Then other Major


 * Paul Harvey Final**


 * The Below Link Contains my Inquiry Application Essay, My Self Reflection Letter and Evaluation Rubric**

[|http://voicethread.com/?#u2490365.b5083307.i25822828]
 * Below is the link to my digital version of Paul Harvey: Done using Voicethread.**

Below are the links for the images I used in my digital video http://www.biography.com/people/jackie-robinson-9460813 https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1422&bih=590&q=jackie+robinson&oq=jackie+&gs_l=img http://thefullcount1544.blogspot.com/2013/01/remembering-jackie-robinson.html https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1422&bih=590&q=jackie+robinson&oq=jackie+&gs_l=img.