Jackie Robinson's Book 'I Never Had It Made'

Jackie Robinson’s book I Never Had It Made really let me know the man behind his superstar baseball career and beyond. The book covered most of his life from hardcore racial discrimination he experienced on and off the field to the joy and love of his family. Before reading this book I really only knew him as a legendary baseball player and knew very little of his political work or his collaborations and disagreements with politicians and famous civil rights advocates. I really liked the book because it showed the obstacles he overcame in sports and as a human being with personal problems like all of us but also showed his work over the years as a civil rights activist. He was a man of integrity who made significant personal sacrifices for …show more content…
He had to be able to stand up in the face of merciless persecution and not retaliate” After reading about his early life, it is not amazing that he had the athletic talent but that he could actually take verbal and physical abuse for two long years without ever defending himself. During his early career he experienced vicious taunts, bottle throwing, inability to get adequate accommodations or food while traveling with the team as well as biased reporting, all because he was a black man in a white privileged nation. To me this seemed a stark contrast to the young Army officer, so it really showcased his ability to sacrifice self for future generations and this is a rare quality. It reminded me of the philosophy and tactics of Martin Luther King Jr., C.O.R.E. and S.N.C.C. as they were fighting racism peacefully. He did finally reach a point when he could self- advocate and speak out against players, fans and the press about his differential treatment based on his skin color. His athletic ability and his demeanor along with a few other brave black players integrated baseball and later made the way for other sports to allow black athletes to