April 15, 1947: 60 years later

About twelve years ago, I began trying to teach myself the history of the Civil Rights movement. This is something I never learned in school or in university or never really heard about until I moved to the US. I remember compiling a list of key dates and I am certain I had "April 15, 1947-- Jackie Robinson breaks the colour barrier in baseball." I thought that by knowing this fact, I knew the importance of Jackie Robinson. I didn't realize how little I knew about him or "the colour barrier in baseball" until a couple of summers ago when we visted the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. There, I happened upon an anonymous letter addressed to Robinson; it was the most hate-filled thing I had ever seen. It was only then that I began to understand how much hatred was covered up by the phrase "the colour barrier" and saw that the colour barrier did not end, as my neatly typed timeline suggests, when he joined the Dodgers. I've since read about the abuses he faced from teammates, other players and 'fans.' An ESPN article quotes Sports Illustrated's Bill Nack: "Robinson was the target of racial epithets and flying cleats, of hate letters and death threats, of pitchers throwing at his head and legs, and catchers spitting on his shoes." I've also learned that when in the military in 1944, Jackie Robinson faced court-martial charges for insubordination when he refused to obey an order to move to the back of a segregated military bus in Texas. This predates Rosa Park's protest by 11 years. I've also learned about how seemingly small actions can make big statements. As described in a New York Times story Pee Wee Reese recalls "one day -- it was probably in Cincinnati....in 1947 or 1948 -- the attack was so nasty that Reese walked over to Robinson and put his hand on the black man's shoulder. 'Pee Wee kind of sensed the sort of hopeless, dead feeling in me and came over and stood beside me for a while,' Robinson recalled, as quoted in the forthcoming biography 'Jackie Robinson,' by Arnold Rampersad (Alfred A. Knopf). 'He didn't say a word but he looked over at the chaps who were yelling at me through him and just stared. He was standing by me, I could tell you that.' The hecklers ceased their attack. 'I will never forget it,' Robinson said."

I've been watching and reading the various bits of coverage on Jackie Robinson Day and it seems that much of baseball has not forgotten events like that either. I'm realizing that Mr. Robinson did so much more break the colour line in baseball; by transforming a sport, he began transforming a nation. By remembering him today, we are not only reminded of what he did and what he stood for, we are also remided of what we must do in our own lives and in our own communities. As he himself said, "A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives." Watching all the 42s take the field today, there is no question about the importance of Mr. Robinson's life. Read about Mr. Robinson here, here, here, here and here.