In the movie 42, Jackie Robinson's story is shown of how he made it to major league baseball. It was incredibly difficult for Jackie Robinson to become a professional baseball player, not because he lacked the skills, but because of the prejudice that existed during that time. There had never been a black baseball player in major league baseball and people were not ready to accept that, but he continued to work hard and when a white man was determined to bring him on his team, Jackie had to work harder than everyone else because of the way people treated him. His teammates treated him terribly, the fans were extremely rude to him, and besides his own racial community and coach he had no one on his side. This experience completely diminished equity because he was treated this way because of his race. It was not fair that a black man couldn't play baseball, but he had to be the first to make the change and show that it was not just a white person's sport.
While watching this movie, I was devastated by what Jackie and his family had to go through. The way people treated him was awful and unnecessary. There were many times throughout the movie that I felt uncomfortable watching because of the trials that Jackie had to face because of his race. When I see things like this, I continuously wonder why anyone would treat someone so harshly. Because of what Jackie went through, he was able to make the change for black people to be able to play baseball and overcome the hardships that came from people against it.
Linzie
ReplyDeleteBeing in a multiracial marriage the issue of race is a constant. My husband and I talk with our children about how times were vastly different, their grandparents and great-grandparents lived through slavery and the civil rights movement. Even though many people assume that this period of injustice was long ago, it really was not, and many living individuals today have survived it first hand. I am glad that progress has been made, it has allowed for some of our greats, like Jackie Robinson, to be acknowledged for their skills and abilities, rather than just the color of their skin.
Carla