On Tuesday, April 14th, my grade 7 class and I attended a visual observation of the film "42. " This inspirational motion picture was written and directed by Brian Helgeland and is beneficial for all audiences that are 13 and over. It gives a sufficient understanding on how much more racism was abundantly displayed throughout the 1940's and how one person, in particular, put his foot down and took a stand against how people were categorized based on their skin tone. This movie consisted of mass racism, tremendous courage, and the development of a new era for Major League Baseball.
Based in the late 1940's, this film showed numerous acts of racism, all in an effort to discriminate against MLB athlete, Jackie Robinson, who was the first African-American athlete to compete in Major League Baseball. It had been a long, vigorous journey for him. From the Negro League, to the International, and at last, to the Major League, Jackie Robinson had progressed so far. Unfortunately for Jackie, progress came with criticism, especially in multiple scenes, in which the manager of the Philadelphia Phillies, Ben Chapmen, tormented him as he yelled the "N " word and many other racial references several times. Despite all the negative judgments that Jackie had to live with, he never fought back because he knew that it takes more of a man to walk away from a fight than it does participate in one.
Jackie Robinson could not have achieved the unachievable without the support of his general manager, Branch Rickey, his coach, Leo Durocher, and of course his fellow teammate, Pee Wee Reese. Out of the 400 players that competed in the MLB in 1947, Jackie was, without a doubt, the most conspicuous athlete overall just because his skin was a darker shade than most competitors. Even though several racial slurs were uttered from the fans quite blatantly, Jackie conquered his temper and let his talent on the field do the talking, which revealed his courageous commitment to his team and his dignity.
