(ThyBlackMan.com) When I think of the great Jackie Robinson breaking barriers in Major League Baseball is what comes to mind. I admit that when he comes to mind the only thing I could reach for is baseball, and that is all I was taught. The way that history was presented wasn’t as if Jackie Robinson was passive…but that his greatest achievements were solely tied to baseball. If one were to look at Muhammad Ali, his stance on Vietnam was widely known; many of us knew he joined the Nation of Islam. We knew of his activism aside from his boxing career.
Before now I understood Jackie Robinson’s activism to come by way of baseball, and I could not have been more incorrect. I was introduced to a history of activism, strength, and courage that was mind blowing. These new discoveries have led me to want to know more about Jackie Robinson the man, and how sports played a role in his activism.
If, like myself, all you know of Jackie Robinson is baseball prepare to learn more about the man on May 1, 2020 when “The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson” by Michael Lee Lanning hits bookstores everywhere. This book takes the reader through the life of a Jackie Robinson that stands up to the police, doesn’t tolerate 2nd class citizen treatment, plays multiple sports, and left the university because he felt it was a waste of time if Jim Crow was alive. He used sports to work with youth and played in varies different sports leagues…and baseball wasn’t the only sport. Football seemed to be a sport which he also loved. He found himself in front of a judge for run-ins with the police more than I would have imagined. However, he acknowledged that being a well-known athlete may have helped him out in many of those situations.
In addition to leaning of Robinson’s activism at home, this book can be used to discuss the experiences of black men in the military. Many of us know of Rosa Parks being arrested for not giving up her seat on a bus. Well, Jackie Robinson would be court-martialed for not sitting in the back of the bus, for speaking up about it, and for insisting that a white woman questioning him would listen to his answers if she wanted to understand his position. Of course, the military would put the charges in language that would equate to not following order, irate behavior, and obscene profane language. All of this while World War II was being fought. This is the stand that should be discussed. This is the Jackie Robinson we should know even more so than the baseball player.
This book will be released after Black History Month, but it is important to remember our history is American history. It is relevant every day of the year. On May 1, 2020 please go out get your copy of “The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson” by Michael Lee Lanning. The book walks you through the court-martial and allows the reader to see what he endured which is a testament to his strength. This book has me wanting to know more about people we just see as athletes or entertainers. There is often more to them than we realize.
Staff Writer; Christian Starr
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