Jackie Robinson: Civil Rights Leader

Jackie Robinson was a great man, and an inspiration for all members of society–not just Black people, men, or athletes, but everyone. His grit and determination opened the door for Henry Aaron to become the “Home Run King”, by hitting 755 home runs, and for Tiger Woods, who is considered perhaps the greatest golfer who ever lived. However, Robinson’s achievements did not stop at just sports. His influence reached far beyond the diamond, and into the realm of civil rights. It must also be kept in mind that his notoriety and celebrity status gained as one of the best ballplayers of his time allowed him to achieve such influence in business/economical and political spheres.

When one does a quick inspection of who Robinson was and what he did, a few things come to mind. First, it is apparent that he was a good athlete. In fact, he lettered in four sports at UCLA, in 1940. But, below the surface, his character and outspokenness will show itself. Looking deeper, one will find that he was heavily involved in the Civil Rights Movement, and politics, in general. Politically, He is most noted as supporting Republican candidates in elections. However, all of this leads the reader to a few questions. What kind of an example and what kinds of actions did he take that contributed to the Civil Rights Movement? Did he set out to be a Civil Rights crusader, or was all of this just thrust onto him, and he stepped up to the plate (pardon the pun)? What were his political motivations? Were they based on a partisan loyalty or on his perception of a politician’s ability to fight racism?

Although Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X are firsts to come to mind when one thinks of civil rights leaders, Jackie Robinson blazed many trails, and opened many doors. Robinson was always politically active before, during, and especially after his playing career. Not only was he politically active, he held high posts in groups as varied as presidential campaign election committees, the NAACP, and Republicans for Johnson. Although many believe he was a staunch Republican, Jackie gave his support to the candidate who he felt would best deal with issues of civil rights. Although it looked like he was switching from party to party to support different candidates, he did not twist in the wind when it came to his political motivations. He followed one belief, and that was the belief in equal rights. Throughout the 1960s, Robinson would back many political candidates from different parties. But, the one thing that each candidate had in common was a set of civil rights policies that Robinson felt were aggressive enough. Jackie Robinson was a man who worked off of his convictions, and would not rest until they had been met.