Sixty seven years ago
today, several black athletes were invited to Fenway Park to “try out” for the
Boston Red Sox. While they were on the field, they were harassed by the limited
team management that chose to attend, and no players were selected for the
team. The humiliated players left the park dejected after the farce, designed
to appease a local politician. But just two years later, one of those players,
a young WWII veteran from Georgia made history by suiting up as the first player
to break the color barrier in the high-level professional sports. His name was
Jackie Robinson.
America has always
prided itself of being a place of equal opportunity. Our country may not be
able to guarantee quality outcomes for all, but as a nation, we strive to
give every person a fair chance at success. This was not the case for
Jackie Robinson. Even when he made it to the major league level, he had to
fight the aggression of hostile fans, teams, and teammates who did not want to
see a black man succeed. Even though he achieved immediate and sustained
success, Jackie Robinson, and other minority players had to continuously
struggle against a culture that was largely intolerant of people of color.
Our children’s athletic
heroes come in all shapes, sizes, and colors these days. Players are granted
equal access to professional leagues and an athlete’s success is determined by
the quality of his or her play, not by race, ethnicity, or other discriminating
characteristics. More important than professional leagues though, our schools
and community sports leagues now enjoy openness to all people, and thanks to
Jackie Robinson, issues of racial discrimination are frowned upon as the
exception instead of proliferated as the rule.
As we celebrate the 65th
anniversary of Jackie Robinson’s courage, let us also celebrate the role that
sport had to play in this historic act of integration! Although unpopular at
the time, sport achieved in 1947 what politics did not achieve until 1964 with
the passage of the Civil Rights Act. As an ideal, sport has always been an
arena in which we can meet others and compete in an objective environment that
is inclusive, fun, and harmonious. Thanks to Jackie, we have turned that ideal
into reality.
