On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson took the field as the Brooklyn Dodgers’ first baseman, becoming the first Black athlete to play in modern Major League Baseball.
Grades
3 - 8
Subjects
Social Studies, U.S. History
Contents
1 Image
Brooklyn Dodger Jackie Robinson, here swinging for the fences in 1954, integrated Major League Baseball in 1947. The day he took the field, April 15, is now recognized as "Jackie Robinson Day."
Photograph by LOOK magazine, courtesy Library of Congress
On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson took to the field as the first-baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Robinson was the first Black player to play Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era. Since 2004, baseball has honored Robinson’s legacy by celebrating April 15 as “Jackie Robinson Day.”
Robinson was an experienced athlete, having played for the Kansas City Monarchs (part of the Negro leagues) and MLB minor-league teams. Although Robinson was not the best player from the Negro Leagues (most historians agree that was legendary catcher Josh Gibson), he was well-respected, and his even temper impressed Dodgers’ president Branch Rickey. Rickey was looking for a Black player with “guts enough not to fight back” against the racist treatment that was sure to come.
Robinson and Larry Doby, a Black athlete hired by Cleveland just 11 weeks after Robinson, endured racist taunts from fans, opposing players, and even teammates. They played spectacularly despite the discrimination. Robinson would go on to be the first recipient of the Rookie of the Year Award in 1947 and win the National League’s Most Valuable Player (NL MVP) Award in 1949.
treatment based on a group to which a person belongs, not the person himself.
excellent or very good.
material, ideas, or history passed down or communicated by a person or community from the past.
famous, heroic, or celebrated.
(1885-1960) American baseball teams and competitions with African American players.
community or government policy of denying certain rights to people based on their ancestry, usually signified by skin color.
athlete playing his or her first professional season.
dramatic and impressive.
to mock or provoke by teasing.
state of mind and emotions.
Celebrate the achievements of African Americans past and present during Black History Month. This collection of resources includes features of prominent figures such as President Barack Obama and war heroine Mary Seacole. Read about part of Indiana's leg of the underground railroad, which many enslaved people used to run to freedom. Explore hands-on activities, maps, and more that will give students of all backgrounds new perspectives on this important part of American culture.
Celebrate the achievements of African Americans past and present during Black History Month. This collection of resources includes features of prominent figures such as President Barack Obama and war heroine Mary Seacole. Read about part of Indiana's leg of the underground railroad, which many enslaved people used to run to freedom. Explore hands-on activities, maps, and more that will give students of all backgrounds new perspectives on this important part of American culture.