Being born into a
sports crazy family, I am fortunate to have never experienced a segregated
sporting match on the local, college or professional level. I am lucky because
I have experienced profound, exciting, and memorable moments, all without the legal
effects of Jim Crow. Perhaps, my gratefulness would be deeper having
experienced such a reality; however I was lucky enough to be taught just enough
on the civil rights movement to hear about the legacy of Jackie Robinson, the
man who de-segregated Major League Baseball.
Although I woefully misunderstood exactly who this man was, “42”, the 2013 film depicting his Robinson’s life, attempts to portray his brilliant rookie campaign as the first black player during the 1947 season of Major League Baseball. Ultimately I walked out of the theater engulfed with curiosity over exactly who Jackie Robinson was, and could not help but think that he was more than just a strong-willed black ballplayer.
Jackie Robinson’s inspirational life was guided by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He was raised by a religious mother and received wise counsel from Branch Rickey, described as Robinson’s “bible thumping general manager”. It is paramount to understand how Robinson’s salvation allowed him to stand as a figure of hope and grace for a society oppressed by Jim Crow.
“42” depicts a powerfully disturbing moment during the 1947 season. Robinson is subjected to extreme racism by an opposing manager. The scene indirectly offers the viewer an opportunity to examine covert, Christ-like actions by Robinson.
Ben Chapman, manager of the 1947 Philadelphia Phillies, exclaims, through an onslaught of racial slurs, “I hope you don’t take showers with him” as well as “This is a white man’s game, why don’t you get that through your thick monkey skull!?” Robinson exits the field into the clubhouse with a bat, proceeding to angrily shatter it to pieces. However, Robinson never actually reacted to Chapman’s racism in such a manner. Chadwick Boseman, portraying Robinson in the film, falsely asserts Jackie must have reacted to the abuse in a furious manner. Understanding why Robinson does not retaliate towards Chapman or others parallels Christ’s actions and illustrates his teachings.
Jesus taught:
“You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also” (Matthew 5:38-9).
Robinson does not retaliate towards Chapman on the grounds of racist instigation. Rather, he withstands the abuse repeatedly at bat after at bat, just as Christ did in his crucifixion at the hands of the Romans.
Robinson’s behavior parallels the life of Christ, just the Apostle Peter documents the life of his teacher, Jesus. Peter writes in his first epistle:
“When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23).
Just as Chapman hurled racial slur after slur, Robinson did not seek retaliation. Though he suffered a great ordeal during his career, not once did hurl back threats towards his oppressors. Rather, entrusting himself to God, he faithfully, humbly stood against his oppressors, understanding that he as well as others would be judged accordingly by God.
Robinson’s faith and works served to spark hope within an oppressed society. His Christ-like actions offer fellow black citizens the opportunity to turn to the truth of the Gospel rather than violent retaliation. Robinson’s faith is the essence of how he maneuvered throughout an astounding and prolific career as Major League Baseball’s first black player.
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ReplyDeleteThis is something that I believe does not receive as much attention in today's society as it should. The faith that Jackie Robinson had in Christ is something that many people are unaware of in my opinion. It just plainly does not seem to be spoken of in great detail. This is something so important I think because Robinson would have never been able to handle all the abuse he was encountering daily without the help of Jesus Christ.
ReplyDeleteThis is extremely interesting to read about and it is very encouraging to see this iconic, historical figure finding his strength in Jesus.
This is a point I came across during my first paper. Religion played many roles during the Jim Crow era and even before that time for both races. The African Americans used it as a way to deal with the pain and come out stronger. In most cases, this was non-violently, such as what is depicted of Jackie Robinson throughout the movie "42".
ReplyDeleteReligion was used not only as a refuge to get away from the pain and suffering and see that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and that they were living for more than what was just on earth, but also as a way to fight back in an effective way. This is how I believe Jackie Robinson used it to break down the color barrier in baseball and further help advance his races rights in America.
I have never heard this side of Jackie Robinson's story, but I feel like it is very true to the overall narrative of the Civil Rights Movement and its religious overtones. As we have talked about in class, churches played a huge role in orchestrating events during the movement. Religion itself obviously played a large part in the African American community during this trying time, as shown by the singing of spirituals at rallies or marches. Jackie Robinson is a prime example of the strength this community found in their religion and how they used this to further their efforts during the movement.
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