It is April 15th. Will you wear your number 42 today?
Perhaps you are one of the 27 million people who saw the film, “42,” when it opened on Friday. Most of us were not around during this ground-breaking time in the late 1940s. For that reason, it is worth your time to hit the theatre and reflect on the life of Jackie Robinson and what it was like in 1947. Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson became the first African American to play in modern Major League Baseball. He broke the baseball color on April 15, 1947. What can we learn from this iconic American baseball player?
A little history:
The Dodgers franchise terminated the segregation of African American players to the Negro leagues with the stroke of a pen. Not just any great player was right to challenge this tradition. It took someone with the skill and integrity of Mr. Robinson push the civil rights movement forward. Robinson
was an exceptional second baseman who played in the World Series six of his ten seasons. Following his stellar baseball career, he continued to break barriers, including becoming the first black television major league baseball analyst and the first black vice-president of a major American corporation (Chock Full of Nuts). Mr. Robinson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal.
What does it mean to you?
Beyond Robinson’s exceptional talent, he was the right man at the right time to break the color line. As
we live in 2013, we can’t relate to what America was like in 1947. Try to imagine what Mr. Robinson faced as the first African American to play in the majors. He knew there would be harassment and a risk of physical harm. Rejection of fellow players and baseball fans was surely expected. Why put yourself out there? That’s the message: To make a change in the world and to achieve greatness, you have to take risks. Stand up for what is right. Spend a little of your political capital in exchange for a chance at a reward. These things are easier said than done.
The bottom line.
Stepping up to a colossal challenge is never easy. You have the choice to rise to the challenge or take the safe route. Most of us will not have the chance to change the world. However, in honor of Jackie Robinson, make a little difference in your part of the world. Take a little risk to enhance the lives of those around you! In the words of Jackie Robinson, “Life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.”
In Major League Baseball, each April 15th is "Jackie Robinson Day" and on this day every player on every team wears #42 in honor of the great Jackie Robinson. Will you wear your number 42 today?