PoliticsNation   |  January 31, 2013

Happy Birthday Jackie Robinson

Thursday would have been baseball great Jackie Robinson’s 94th birthday. Rev. Al Sharpton reflects on how Robinson changed American culture forever.

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This content comes from Closed Captioning that was broadcast along with this program.

>>> 94 years ago today, an american hero was born. jackie robinson . on april 15th , 1947 , jack roosevelt robinson put on a brooklyn dodger's uniform and stepped on the field breaking the color barrier in merng's past time. that one baseball game changed our culture forever. but it wasn't easy. in 1947 , jim crow was in full force in the south. schools were still segregated and voting rights were not guaranteed. many of robinson 's teammates didn't want him in a dodger's uniform. other players jeered him and even threw baseballs at his head. he was attacked by fans who spat on him from the stands. his beloved wife, his family and his home were con standpoistantly threatened. but robinson persevered. he refused to meet violence with violence. robinson challenged himself to disarm his attackers by proving himself on the field. and he did. in 1947 , he was voted rookie of the year. two years later, he was the national league 's moesz valuable player. eventually leading the dodger's to a world series vikt ri. he was one of baseball's most thrilling players. jackie robinson changed baseball and he changed america. he kept his focus in the face of adversity because he had a higher goal. in studying him, i learned that branch ricky, who decided to courageously break the color barrier , look for a black that had the temperament and the focus to take all of the jeers, to take all of the hostility and take all of the hate and still perform and rise above what he was facing. jackie robinson showed a change agent but first changed himself. must have the temperament, the determination and focus that they can take whatever it is necessary to take in order to make change happen. those that opened door have to be stronger than those that walk through doors that have already been opened. happy birthday, jackie robinson .