JACKIE ROBINSON

JACKIE ROBINSON # 42 Iconic Jackie Roosevelt Robinson, #42, was playing short stop for the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues, when he was signed away by Branch Rickey to play for the National League Brooklyn Dodgers. Too often his antecedents are not considered in the rush to revere the man, the UCLA college-educated, highly spirited, race-conscious black man, who did not "take no mess," before getting to the major leagues, but he took plenty there! These thoughts occurred to me while listening to Hank Aaron's interview on Sunday night baseball. Aaron also said that when he came up to the majors, that he used to hold the bat with his strong hand on the bottom and the weakest left hand on the top. I was encouraged by his batting confession, since I used to hold the bat the same way, and hit for more power too! Like Hank, no one taught me differently. Salutations to Jackie , who started passive resistance to systematic racism 8 years before the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. @ 1947.