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Example research essay topic: Civil Rights Movement Civil Rights Leader - 1,664 words

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The Thoughts, Ideas, And Motivations Of Jackie The Thoughts, Ideas, And Motivations Of Jackie Robinson During The Civil Rights Movement JACKIE ROBINSON To the average person, in the average American community, Jackie Robinson was just what the sports pages said he was, no more, no less. He was the first Negro to play baseball in the major leagues. Everybody knew that, but to see the real Jackie Robinson, you must de-emphasize him as a ball player and emphasize him as a civil rights leader. That part drops out, that which people forget. From his early army days, until well after his baseball days, Robinson had fought to achieve equality among whites and blacks. Jackie acted out the philosophy of nonviolence of Martin Luther King Jr. , before the future civil rights leader had thought of applying it to the problem of segregation in America (Weidhorn 93).

Robinson was an avid member of the NAACP and helped recruit members because of his fame from baseball. Jackie had leadership qualities and the courage to fight for his beliefs. Unwilling to accept the racism he had run into all his life, he had a strong need to be accepted at his true worth as a first-class citizen. Robinson was someone who would work for a cause that of blacks and of America as well as for himself and his team. In his early days in the Army, he established himself as a fighter for civil rights (Weidhorn 40 - 1).

The U. S. Army was segregated about the time Robinson enlisted. He felt for the first time in his life what it was like to be a second-class citizen as a part of his daily life.

Jackie had too much pride though, to let things stay the way they were. Many blacks accepted how things were in the army. Robinson knew that if he tried hard enough, he could change things. One particular event caused Robinson to stand up for his rights, almost to the point of being court-martialed from the Army. According to Texas laws, blacks were suppose to sit in the back of the bus.

According to army regulations, seating was not segregated. The driver, a local civilian, thought that the woman Jackie was talking to was white The outraged bus driver ordered Jackie to the back of the bus. Jackie knew his rights on an army base Jackie would not move. On reaching the last stop, the bus driver quickly brought over several white men and two military policemen The MPs took Jackie to a captain, who saw in him only an uppity nigger trying to make trouble.

He filed a series of charges against Jackie (Weidhorn 28). Robinson did not take this incident passively. He spread word to other black officers, who in turn contacted black newspapers and civil rights groups, who demanded that the charges be dropped. Instead of fighting the Japanese or German enemy, Robinson had to fight the racism and stupidity of his fellow Americans. Robinson was eventually honorably discharged from the Army for medical reasons. Baseball soon became a big part of Robinsons life.

Jackie Robinsons entry into the Major Leagues was far from a walk in the park. He climbed over countless obstacles just to play with white men, some of which, he was better then. He not only had to compete with the returning players from the war, but he also contended with racism. Many towns in the South did not want racially mixed teams (Weidhorn 53). As time went on, cities realized that Robinson offered them free publicity. The Dodgers presence also brought extra business to the town.

This helped teach some Southern officials and businessmen to over look, at least sometimes, the color of a persons skin. That lesson gradually spread to the rest of baseball and, years later, became a theme of the civil rights movement (Weidhorn 53). Some players did not agree with Negroes playing baseball. Most did not support Robinson, but they did not oppose him. Some Southerners were a little uneasy, but quickly came around. Robinsons charm helped to win some over; his skills won the rest.

Robinson was uneasy and nervous as opposing teams started to shout racist comments towards him. We had agreed that I had no right to lose my temper and jeopardize the chances of all the blacks who would follow me if I could help break down the barriers (Duckett 42). After a while, Robinson was bound to crack. One particular game, Robinson became angry with the visiting team and wanted to punch him as hard as he could. He thought to himself, To hell with Mr.

Rickeys noble experiment! With great effort Jackie did restrain himself (Weidhorn 84). Robinson was pushed to his limits and managed to maintain his composure. As the seasons went on, so did the racism.

Robinson had reached his limits and at spring training proclaimed, They better be rough on me this year, because Im sure gonna be rough on them (Weidhorn 112). Robinson would not take anything from anyone anymore, umpire or player, teammate nor opponent. He would fight for his rights. He would take a strong stand against anti-black insults. He would denounce the segregation of ballplayers in the Southern cities that the teams visited. He would no longer only be a silent hero but also a noisy spokesperson.

Jack had decided that turning the other cheek had lost its nobility, and the effort was chipping away at his spirits (Robinson 88). He had to fight back, or else he knew people would walk all over him. After Robinson retired from baseball, he became a figurehead as the vice president in charge of personnel at Chock Full O Nuts in 1957. Jackie was about to combine the two biggest phases of his life, his days as an athlete, and a fighter for civil rights in the army.

One issue that Bill Black and I saw eye to eye on right away was the NAACP Freedom Fund Drive. Mr. Black told me that if he were in my place there wouldnt be enough he could do for the cause of freedom for black people. He said he approved wholeheartedly of my participation and if it didnt interfere with my work at Chock, I was free to use company time to travel, work, and speak for the NAACP.

In a gesture that put meaning behind his words, Mr. Black then gave me a check made out to the NAACP that was in five figures. I felt I had a debt to my people I wanted to volunteer my services at the same time to the organization I believed was helping them the most (Duckett 126). He gave hope and influenced events that were going on in the city. As a syndicated columnist, Robinson determined that, whatever the concerns, he had to speak out about the issues. By 1957, the momentum of the civil rights movement had increased sharply.

Jack, as excited as all of us by these signs of progress, wanted to participate in a meaningful way. He was drawn to the NAACP, whose history as an effective force was unmatched (Robinson 164). Robinson served on the board of directors until 1967, when he resigned because he felt that the group was stifling the efforts of younger and progressive members. He later regretted his resignation and felt he should have served from within. Given to him in December 1956, the year he retired from baseball, the Naacp's prestigious Spingarn Medal confirmed Robinsons beliefs that his accomplishments on the field had significance beyond sports and that he himself was needed in the ranks of black leadership (Robinson 167).

In the early 1960 s, Robinson grew increasingly determined to find specific ways to help improve the lives of black people. He decided he would concentrate on stimulating economic development and political power (Robinson 190). The civil rights movement in the south intensified even more so then ever in the spring of 1963. To help support the movement, Robinson fund raised money for prisoners or future prisoners who had marched for the rights of blacks. Robinson knew that he could help the cause, so he had a jazz concert on his lawn to raise money for bail. From the first concert to the last concert, concert patrons have left telling us how much they enjoy participating in a peaceful assemblage of music lovers silently chanting for freedom (Robinson 185).

Robinson also helped found and served as board chairman for the Freedom National Bank, a minority-owned commercial bank based in Harlem, New York (memory. loc. gov/). Robinsons last major accomplishment came in 1970. He had been backed by a small group of investors. Robinson and a friend established the Jackie Robinson Construction Company to build housing for families with low and moderate incomes.

This was one of the few ways Robinson could give back to the world that which he had taken so much from. Robinsons fight for civil rights ended in 1972 when he passed away from his long battle with diabetes. Robinson, who was unwilling to accept the racism he had run into all his life, had changed those around him and changed the way people lived their lives. Robinson was someone who worked for a cause not only for himself, but also for his fellow Negroes, and his country. His work for civil rights not only came when he had to provoke a change for his advancement, but even after he had advanced, he did not forget his fellow Negroes. His acts in the 1950 s, 1960 s and shortly in the 1970 s has helped and influenced America to end segregation and racism in the world.

Bibliography web Duckett, Alfred. I Never Had It Made: An Autobiography of Jackie Robinson. Hopewell, NJ: The Ecco Press. 1995 Robinson, Rachel. Jackie Robinson: An Intimate Portrait. New York: A Times Mirror Company. 1996. Weidhorn, Manfred.

Jackie Robinson. New York, NY: Macmillan Publishing Company. 1993


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Research essay sample on Civil Rights Movement Civil Rights Leader

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