RACIAL INTEGRATION IN THE U.S.
BY ASHLEY BATISTE
This picture of one white girl and a little black girl is the result of the desegregating that happened in the U.S. With the decision of Brown v. Board of Education schools in the United States started to slowly integrate the students because it was decided that the black student’s educational futures were in danger. There was a lot of tension as a result of the decision and it was only doubled when it came to the American sports. American Baseball was one of the first American sports to break the color line when Jackie Robinson was signed on to the Brooklyn Dodgers.
This scene from the movie 42, shows the Dodger manager Branch Rickey receiving a call from the Herb
Pennock explaining how his team wouldn’t be taking the field if Jackie Robinson were to play. Branch’s reaction went to show the true heart of an American that saw no color line when it came to America’s pastime. Also Branch’s reaction reflected the feelings that some American’s felt regarding not only to the fact of Jackie, a black player, was playing but also in regards to the whole country desegregation. The Dodgers ended
up still playing the Phillies and winning the game but not without the Phillies manager Ben Chapman creating bad press for the Phillies with his constant taunting towards Robinson.
1. 42, 2013 film, directed by Brian Helgeland. From the studios of Legendary Pictures, distributed by Warnes Bros.
America is a country that has always prided itself on how it was the land of the free and but never realized how much of that wasn’t true. In America, whites were always seen as superior to anyone even after the Civil War was over and when the desegregation began. But when it came to sports there was a thin line that was never crossed because it was considered equal. Baseball was America’s pastime during the late 19th and 20th century because of the simple fact that it was played but literally everyone. Baseball was the one sport that if you didn’t at least play, you knew the game and could easily strike up a conversation with someone about the sport.
In the game of baseball the major leagues were only exclusive to whites, while non-white America’s were allowed to play the sport
but within their own small exclusive leagues. It wasn’t until after the Second World War when people start to question why the sport wasn’t already integrated. But for several, reasons including economically, and the lack of racial tolerance the sport remained separate by equal. It wasn’t until Branch Rickey and his headstrong sense of what is right and what is wrong did the sport finally see the first black player to successfully cross the black line and play a successful season on an all-white team in an all-white major league. By doing this Rickey helped pushed not only the baseball leagues view on black players but he also helped America as a country realize how wrong it was in allowing the
“separate but equal” rule stay for soo long. Even though it was mainly the southern states that had a hard time in accepting this change in not only their favorite sport but also in their day-to-day life, this changed the course of America in small ways. Thus with Baseball being America’s favorite pastime it also in a way became America’s stepping stone in racial tolerance.
In the game of baseball the major leagues were only exclusive to whites, while non-white America’s were allowed to play the sport
but within their own small exclusive leagues. It wasn’t until after the Second World War when people start to question why the sport wasn’t already integrated. But for several, reasons including economically, and the lack of racial tolerance the sport remained separate by equal. It wasn’t until Branch Rickey and his headstrong sense of what is right and what is wrong did the sport finally see the first black player to successfully cross the black line and play a successful season on an all-white team in an all-white major league. By doing this Rickey helped pushed not only the baseball leagues view on black players but he also helped America as a country realize how wrong it was in allowing the
“separate but equal” rule stay for soo long. Even though it was mainly the southern states that had a hard time in accepting this change in not only their favorite sport but also in their day-to-day life, this changed the course of America in small ways. Thus with Baseball being America’s favorite pastime it also in a way became America’s stepping stone in racial tolerance.
This picture of Jackie Robinson and Ben Chapman is the result of the Phillies receiving bad press after Chapman’s verbal abuse towards Robinson. Whenever the Phillies and Dodgers would meet, Chapman would make it his goal to taunt and humiliate Robinson while he was on the field or if he was up to bat. But bestowed to Chapman, the verbal taunting only led to the nation and local press printing out and reporting negatively towards the Phillies and their lack of sportsmanship. This picture is also seen in the movie 42 as a important turn point for both teams.
In America playing in a sport is considered the “American thing to do” for the youth and good ol’
fashion American Baseball falls under that category. The America people follow and love baseball because it allows an escape from everything that is going on around them. It was something that kids would do after school and it was widely played in the country. With racial desegregation, there was a shift in what was really considered the “American thing to do” because regardless of whether you were a black American in the eyes of society, America’s favorite pastime was only for those who were white. During the difficult time of desegregation American Baseball was one of the sports that made a big splash at the time. With Jackie Robinson breaking the color line, which was a long standing rule that
excluded black players in the major leagues and its affiliated. There was a huge outrage and backlash in the baseball community. When American’s most beloved sport was being “degraded” with the “colored” players playing with what the country considered to be only white sport. Even though there were many colored clubs that played by the same rules but during that time whites were considered superior to blacks. With the Dodgers signing Jackie Robinson to not only play for their club but also being the first black player in the major leagues. Even though the Dodgers’ club house received many threats and received nothing but boos from their fans because of decision to have a black player on the team, it only benefited the country in helping people realized that there is no difference in color when it comes to playing the sport of baseball. The movie 42, it depicts how the country and the baseball community were forced to change their views on desegregation because in the sport of baseball color shouldn’t be the defining factor. Just like in the movie, not all American’s shared the same prejudiced and it was the one person that stepped up to the plate that showed that it’s not about the color of
a person’s skin that defines them but it’s the actions that does.
fashion American Baseball falls under that category. The America people follow and love baseball because it allows an escape from everything that is going on around them. It was something that kids would do after school and it was widely played in the country. With racial desegregation, there was a shift in what was really considered the “American thing to do” because regardless of whether you were a black American in the eyes of society, America’s favorite pastime was only for those who were white. During the difficult time of desegregation American Baseball was one of the sports that made a big splash at the time. With Jackie Robinson breaking the color line, which was a long standing rule that
excluded black players in the major leagues and its affiliated. There was a huge outrage and backlash in the baseball community. When American’s most beloved sport was being “degraded” with the “colored” players playing with what the country considered to be only white sport. Even though there were many colored clubs that played by the same rules but during that time whites were considered superior to blacks. With the Dodgers signing Jackie Robinson to not only play for their club but also being the first black player in the major leagues. Even though the Dodgers’ club house received many threats and received nothing but boos from their fans because of decision to have a black player on the team, it only benefited the country in helping people realized that there is no difference in color when it comes to playing the sport of baseball. The movie 42, it depicts how the country and the baseball community were forced to change their views on desegregation because in the sport of baseball color shouldn’t be the defining factor. Just like in the movie, not all American’s shared the same prejudiced and it was the one person that stepped up to the plate that showed that it’s not about the color of
a person’s skin that defines them but it’s the actions that does.