African American History is a definitely one where you have to approach it is a detective. And not just do you have to investigate untruths but also what I call convenient historical absences. By absences I mean things that just seemed to get forgotten by the history books. African American History suffers heavily from significant contributions that mysteriously do not get publicized in the rich pageant known as American history. I guess that is why a historians work is really never done.
April..Jackie Robinson Breaks The Race Barrier In Sports
Nevertheless sometimes history gets it right with respect to black history in Williamsburg and America. Once such place where the overall public perception is very good would be the Jackie Robinson story. Why I am pulling this story out of the hundreds, if not thousands of potential stories that feature African American historical people and stories. Well, the answer is simple..It is April and this is the month Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier.
A Rich Historical Account
That alone is a pretty well known fact. Our National pastime, baseball, and America, would be forever changed by this humble historical figure. Ok, that is totally true. He would become one of the best players ever. That is documented. But his life was so much richer, in achievement and historical significance than really gets relayed in a sound bite or two. But for history sake let us go into some quick detail that really builds the dimension of this black historical sports icon.
- So I pulled some facts I didn’t know that I wanted to mention here that may not be as well known. Here we go:
- Jackie Robinson was an Officer in the US Army During World War 2. Something of huge notoriety in itself
- He was not allowed to serve in combat because he refused to sit in a segregated section of a bus in America
- He was rookie of the year his first year of Major League Baseball
- His number is retired from ALL of baseball..Not Just a Team. This is a huge honor
- He received the Presidential Medal Of Freedom, the highest award an American can receive out of the military
- He was a huge figure in fighting for civil rights, even after his retirement from baseball
- He struggled with diabetes
- He was the first African American Vice President of an American Corporation..Chock Full Of Nuts
- Every MLB must wear number 42 on Jackie Robinson day, which honors him
- He was the first African American TV Sports Analyst On Television For ABC
And there is a lot more..
I could probably go on for about ten more pages, but I think I have done this article justice. Jackie Robinson strove for excellence and justice in just about everything he did. What an incredible American.
The Williamsburg Walking Tour African American Tour
Our African American Tour Of Williamsburg looks at Black history through the interpretation of historical data. By data a true complete history of what actually happened and not historical marketing. Cutting, pasting, and omitting history to create a new history is not tolerable. Our tour is open and honest about the true African American experience in Williamsburg, Colonial America, and beyond.
References
42 FACTS ABOUT JACKIE ROBINSON
In-text: (Mentalfloss.com, 2018)
Your Bibliography: Mentalfloss.com. (2018). 42 Facts About Jackie Robinson. [online] Available at: http://mentalfloss.com/article/50059/42-facts-about-jackie-robinson [Accessed 23 Mar. 2018].
