Jackie Robinson (2016–…): Season 1, Episode 1 - Jackie Robinson: Part One - full transcript
Jackie Robinson's early life from humble beginnings to his rookie season in Major League Baseball. Robinson born to sharecropper farmers in rural Georgia, and was raised by his single mother in Pasadena, California. Robinson became a four sport star and met his future wife, Rachel Islum while attending UCLA. He was drafted into the army and became a second lieutenant in a tank battalion during World War 2. He faced court martial over a dispute arising from defending himself from discrimination but was honorably discharged. After the war, he played in the Negro leagues and soon attracted the attention of the Brooklyn Dodgers' Branch Rickey. A season with the Dodgers minor league affiliate, the Montreal Royals followed and Robinson broke the color barrier on April 15, 1947. In his first season he was subjected to racial slurs, abuse and threats but endured the onslaught to help his team win the pennant and win Rookie of the Year honors.
A ROOM JAMMED WITH TROPHIES,
AWARDS, AND CITATIONS,
AND A CHILD OF MINE
CAME INTO THAT ROOM
AND ASKED WHAT I HAD DONE
IN DEFENSE OF BLACK PEOPLE
AND DECENT WHITES
FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM--
AND IF I HAD TO TELL THAT CHILD
I HAD KEPT QUIET,
THAT I HAD BEEN TIMID,
I WOULD HAVE TO MARK MYSELF
A TOTAL FAILURE IN THE WHOLE
BUSINESS OF LIVING.
JACKIE ROBINSON.
WOMAN: I THINK THE THING
I MISS THE MOST
IS HAVING A TRUSTED FRIEND.
I DO HAVE FRIENDS.
I HAVE GOOD FRIENDS.
BUT IT'S NOT LIKE HAVING JACK.
AND THE SECOND THING I MISS MOST
IS HAVING HIS ARMS AROUND ME.
HE WAS VERY, VERY...
UM...EXPRESSIVE.
AND...AH...LOVING.
AND I MISS THAT.
I MISS THAT A LOT.
NARRATOR: HE WAS
AN UNCOMPROMISING CRUSADER
WHO LIFTED HIMSELF UP
FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
TO BECOME, FOR A TIME,
ONE OF THE MOST
CELEBRATED MEN IN AMERICA.
HE WAS A SUPREMELY
GIFTED ATHLETE
WHOSE SKILLS ON THE BALL FIELD
CAPTIVATED AMERICANS
OF ALL RACES,
AND IN THE PROCESS, CHALLENGED
THE PREJUDICED NOTIONS
OF WHAT A BLACK MAN
COULD ACHIEVE.
HE WAS AN IMPATIENT,
STRONG-WILLED,
AND SHARP-TONGUED COMPETITOR,
WHO NONETHELESS
TURNED THE OTHER CHEEK
TO THE THREATS AND ABUSE
HE WOULD ENDURE--
AND MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR OTHERS
TO FOLLOW IN HIS FOOTSTEPS.
AND WHEN HE FINALLY DID FIGHT
BACK, HE DREW THE SCORN OF FANS,
A ONCE-ADORING PRESS--
EVEN HIS OWN TEAMMATES.
AFTER BASEBALL,
HE FOUND NEW WAYS
TO USE HIS FAME
TO FIGHT DISCRIMINATION,
BUT AS THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT
HE HAD ONCE SEEMED TO EMBODY
BECAME MORE MILITANT,
ITS DEMANDS MORE STRIDENT,
HE WAS ACCUSED OF BEING
OUT OF TOUCH--AN UNCLE TOM.
THROUGH IT ALL, IN A COUNTRY
DEEPLY DIVIDED BY RACE,
WHERE AFRICAN-AMERICANS HAD FEW
RIGHTS AND FEWER OPPORTUNITIES,
HE REFUSED TO ACCEPT
SECOND-CLASS CITIZENSHIP.
"JACKIE ROBINSON," MARTIN
LUTHER KING, JR. ONCE SAID,
"WAS A SIT-INNER
BEFORE SIT-INS,
A FREEDOM RIDER
BEFORE FREEDOM RIDES."
MAN: JACKIE ROBINSON
LAID THE FOUNDATION FOR AMERICA
TO SEE ITS BLACK CITIZENS AS
SUBJECTS AND NOT JUST OBJECTS.
IT, IT, IT, IT MEANT
THAT THERE WERE
6- AND 7- AND 8-YEAR-OLD BOYS
WHO SUDDENLY THOUGHT
A BLACK MAN WAS A HERO.
MAN 2: WE HAVE VERY FEW
WEAPONS AT OUR DISPOSAL
TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST
OUR CONDITION
SINCE NOBODY ELSE IN THE SOCIETY
SHARES THAT CONDITION WITH US.
HE BECAME ONE OF THE MOST
POWERFUL VOICES WE HAD.
TO EXTRICATE OURSELVES
FROM THE EVILS
AND THE PAIN OF THAT HISTORY.
WHAT WILL YOU SAY IN BEHALF OF
THE NEEDS OF THOSE OF US
WHO CANNOT SPEAK OR CANNOT
HAVE THE VOICE THAT YOU HAVE?
RACHEL ROBINSON: JACK WAS
ALWAYS PROUD OF HIS RACE.
HELD HIS HEAD HIGH;
WALKED WITH A KIND OF A SWAGGER.
HE HAD EXPERIENCED
THE NEGATIVES
AND ALL OF THE CHALLENGES
OF THE SOCIETY.
SO, HE WAS READY TO DO
SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
AND HE FELT HE SHOULD
BE THE ONE TO DO THAT.
MAN: NOW, PEOPLE HAVE BEEN
SAYING THAT JACKIE ROBINSON,
OF ALL PEOPLE HERE
IN THIS COUNTRY,
YOU HAVE LESS RIGHT TO PROTEST
AGAINST WHAT'S GOING ON
THAN ANYBODY THAT I KNOW OF.
THEY SAID, "JACKIE ROBINSON, YOU
HAVE IT MADE AND YOU OUGHT NOT
TO BE A PART OF THIS MOVEMENT."
AND I SAY TO YOU, THAT
WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT,
THAT THERE IS NOT ONE NEGRO, NOT
ONE THAT I KNOW IN THIS COUNTRY
THAT HAS IT MADE UNTIL
THE MOST UNDERPRIVILEGED NEGRO
IN ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA
HAS IT MADE.
[APPLAUSE]
NARRATOR: JACK ROOSEVELT
ROBINSON WAS BORN
THE YOUNGEST OF 5 CHILDREN
NEAR THE SMALL TOWN OF CAIRO,
GEORGIA, ON JANUARY 31, 1919.
HIS FATHER JERRY ROBINSON
WAS A TENANT FARMER;
HIS MOTHER MALLIE THE PIOUS AND
DETERMINED DAUGHTER OF SLAVES.
HIS MIDDLE NAME WAS A TRIBUTE
TO THE PROGRESSIVE REPUBLICAN
EX-PRESIDENT
THEODORE ROOSEVELT,
WHO HAD DIED
EARLIER THAT MONTH.
IN POST-RECONSTRUCTION AMERICA,
BLACK FAMILIES LIVED UNDER
JIM CROW SEGREGATION,
FACING A CONSTANT
THREAT OF VIOLENCE.
THE YEAR ROBINSON WAS BORN,
AT LEAST 21 AFRICAN-AMERICANS
WERE LYNCHED IN GEORGIA ALONE.
MAN: ¶ YOU GOT TO MOVE,
YOU GOT TO MOVE ¶
NARRATOR: ALMOST
9 OUT OF 10 BLACKS
STILL LIVED IN THE SOUTH,
MANY JUST SCRAPING BY
AS SHARECROPPERS OR FARMHANDS.
JACK'S FATHER WAS NO DIFFERENT.
HE GREW PEANUTS, COTTON,
VEGETABLES, AND SUGAR CANE
FOR A MEAGER MONTHLY SALARY
ON A PLANTATION
OWNED BY A MAN
NAMED JAMES SASSER.
WHEN JACK'S MOTHER MALLIE
CONVINCED HER HUSBAND
TO DEMAND A SHARE
OF THE PROFITS,
SASSER AGREED, AND THE
ROBINSONS' FORTUNES IMPROVED.
BUT WITH MONEY IN HIS POCKET,
JACK'S FATHER WAS DRAWN TO
THE FASTER PACE OF LIFE IN TOWN
AND BEGAN TO STRAY.
WOMAN: HIS FATHER
LEFT THE FAMILY
WHEN MY FATHER WAS
ONLY 6 MONTHS OLD,
AND JUST WALKED OFF
THE FARM SAYING,
"I'M GOING TO THE CITY
TO FIND A JOB."
OF COURSE HE WASN'T;
OR HE MAY HAVE BEEN
BUT WITH NO INTENTIONS OF
BRINGING HIS FAMILY ALONG.
NARRATOR: JAMES SASSER
BLAMED MALLIE FOR DRIVING
ONE OF HIS BEST LABORERS AWAY.
HE CALLED HER "TOO UPPITY
FOR HER OWN GOOD."
SHARON ROBINSON:
AND MY GRANDMOTHER,
WHO WAS A VERY STRONG WOMAN,
KNEW THAT SHE COULD NOT RAISE
HER 4 BOYS AND ONE GIRL
IN THE DEEP SOUTH,
AND BE A SHARECROPPER.
SHE HAD A BROTHER WHO
HAD MOVED TO LOS ANGELES.
SO, SHE HAD A PLACE TO GO.
NARRATOR: IN 1920, MALLIE
ROBINSON AND HER CHILDREN--
EDGAR, FRANK, MACK, WILLA MAE,
AND ONE-YEAR-OLD JACK--
GATHERED THEIR BELONGINGS
AND QUIETLY BOARDED
A MIDNIGHT TRAIN,
HEADING FOR CALIFORNIA,
DETERMINED TO ESCAPE
THE PRISON OF JIM CROW.
THE ROBINSONS WERE PART OF
WHAT CAME TO BE CALLED
THE GREAT MIGRATION.
OVER THE NEXT 6 DECADES, MORE
THAN 6 MILLION SOUTHERN BLACKS
WOULD DEPART FOR PLACES
LIKE DETROIT AND CHICAGO,
OAKLAND AND LOS ANGELES,
NEWARK AND BROOKLYN.
MAN: MANY BLACK PARENTS,
THEY WANTED SOMETHING
BETTER FOR THEIR CHILDREN
AND THEY DIDN'T FEEL AS THOUGH
THEY COULD GET THIS
REMAINING IN THE SOUTH.
LIKE SO MANY OTHER AMERICAN
PARENTS, "I WANNA GO SOMEWHERE
"WHERE I FEEL MY CHILDREN
WILL BE ABLE TO SUCCEED
BETTER THAN I HAVE
BEEN ABLE TO SUCCEED."
NARRATOR: MALLIE AND HER FAMILY
SETTLED WITH HER HALF-BROTHER
IN PASADENA, A WELL-TO-DO
AND MOSTLY WHITE CITY
NEAR LOS ANGELES,
WHERE MALLIE BELIEVED
THERE WOULD BE
MORE OPPORTUNITY.
BUT PASADENA HAD ITS OWN
VERSION OF JIM CROW.
THE MUNICIPAL POOL
WAS FOR WHITES ONLY,
UNTIL PROTESTS BY AFRICAN-
AMERICAN ACTIVISTS INSPIRED
WHAT WAS CALLED
"INTERNATIONAL DAY."
ON TUESDAYS, BLACK,
ASIAN, AND MEXICAN RESIDENTS
WERE ALLOWED TO SWIM.
BUT CITY OFFICIALS PROMISED
WHITES THAT THE POOL WOULD BE
DRAINED AND CLEANED
BEFORE REOPENING.
MALLIE FOUND WORK AS
A MAID FOR A WHITE FAMILY
WHO SOMETIMES ALLOWED HER
TO TAKE LEFTOVERS HOME
FOR HER CHILDREN
AND SHE SAVED WHAT
LITTLE MONEY SHE COULD.
EVERYBODY WENT TO WORK
AT 7:30 IN THE MORNING,
OR SCHOOL.
AND MY AUNT WILLA MAE,
SHE TOOK MY FATHER,
WHO WAS NOT OF THE AGE
EVEN FOR KINDERGARTEN,
AND SAT HIM IN THE SANDBOX
WHILE SHE WENT TO SCHOOL
AND SHE CHECKED ON HIM DURING
THE BREAKS AND WHAT NOT.
NARRATOR: WHEN JACK WAS 3,
MALLIE MOVED HER FAMILY INTO
THEIR OWN HOUSE AT
121 PEPPER STREET.
RACHEL ROBINSON: SHE HAD
THE NERVE TO BUY A HOUSE
ON PEPPER STREET, WHICH WAS
A WHITE NEIGHBORHOOD.
WHERE SHE GOT THE MONEY
WE DON'T KNOW.
BUT SHE WAS DETERMINED
TO HAVE A HOME.
SHARON ROBINSON: THE WHITES
THAT LIVED IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
TRIED EVERYTHING TO GET
MY GRANDMOTHER TO MOVE.
AND SHE SAID,
"WE'RE NOT GOING."
UM...THEY BURNED A CROSS
ON HER FRONT LAWN;
THEY WOULD CALL THE POLICE
EVERY TIME MY UNCLE
WOULD JUST...AH...ROLLER
SKATE ON THE SIDEWALK;
AH...THERE'S THAT SORT OF MOMENT
MY FATHER HAS THIS FACE-TO-FACE
WITH A LITTLE WHITE GIRL
ACROSS THE STREET
AND THEY'RE BOTH YELLING
RACIST NAMES AT EACH OTHER.
AND THEN THE FATHER COMES OUT
AND STARTS THROWING ROCKS
AT MY DAD.
NARRATOR: JACK ROBINSON
THREW THE ROCKS BACK.
MAN AS JACKIE ROBINSON:
I WAS A MEMBER IN GOOD STANDING
OF THE PEPPER STREET GANG,
MADE UP OF
BLACKS, JAPANESE,
AND MEXICAN KIDS.
ALL OF US CAME
FROM POOR FAMILIES
AND HAD EXTRA TIME
ON OUR HANDS.
WE THREW DIRT CLODS AT CARS,
SWIPED FRUIT FROM STANDS
AND RAN OFF IN A PACK,
SNITCHED WHAT WE COULD
FROM THE LOCAL STORES--
AND ALL THE TIME WE WERE AWARE
OF A GROWING RESENTMENT
AT BEING DEPRIVED OF THE
ADVANTAGES THE WHITE KIDS HAD.
NARRATOR: THE GREAT DEPRESSION
THAT BEGAN WITH
THE STOCK MARKET CRASH OF 1929
HIT AFRICAN-AMERICANS
ESPECIALLY HARD.
IN MANY PLACES,
BLACK UNEMPLOYMENT RATES
WERE DOUBLE OR EVEN
TRIPLE THOSE OF WHITES.
THOUGH MALLIE SOMEHOW
REMAINED EMPLOYED,
SHE STRUGGLED TO PROVIDE
FOR HER FAMILY.
SOME DAYS THEY SURVIVED
ON BREAD AND SUGAR WATER.
MEANWHILE, TWO OF MALLIE'S SONS
HAD BEGUN TO EXCEL AT SPORTS.
JACK'S TALENTS
ON THE BASEBALL DIAMOND
SO IMPRESSED HIS CLASSMATES
THAT THEY OFFERED
TO SHARE THEIR LUNCHES WITH HIM
IF HE CHOSE TO PLAY
ON THEIR TEAM.
[GUNSHOT]
HIS OLDER BROTHER MACK
EARNED A PLACE ON THE 1936
U.S. OLYMPIC TRACK AND FIELD
TEAM THAT COMPETED IN BERLIN.
HE OUTRAN HITLER'S
ARYAN SPRINTERS
AND FINISHED BEHIND ONLY JESSE
OWENS IN THE 200-METER DASH.
BUT WHEN HE CAME HOME
TO PASADENA,
THE ONLY WORK
MACK ROBINSON COULD FIND
WAS AS A STREET SWEEPER.
IF IT HAD BEEN
A DIFFERENT TIME, YOU KNOW,
MACK ROBINSON MIGHT HAVE
BECOME A GREAT CELEBRITY.
THERE JUST WEREN'T
MANY OPPORTUNITIES.
AND HE WOULD WEAR
HIS OLYMPIC JACKET
WHILE HE CLEANED THE STREETS.
NARRATOR: IN 1937,
JACK ROBINSON ENROLLED AT
PASADENA JUNIOR COLLEGE.
HE WAS OUTSTANDING
IN EVERY SPORT HE PLAYED,
AND BEGAN TO MAKE A NAME FOR
HIMSELF IN THE LOS ANGELES AREA.
BUT HE WAS ALSO GETTING
A REPUTATION AS A TROUBLEMAKER.
AFTER A BASKETBALL GAME
AGAINST ALL-WHITE LONG BEACH,
AN OPPOSING PLAYER THREW A PUNCH
AT HIM IN FRUSTRATION.
ROBINSON HIT BACK,
THE PLAYER WENT DOWN,
AND THE GYM ERUPTED
INTO A MELEE.
A FEW DAYS LATER, WHEN
A PASADENA POLICE OFFICER
OVERHEARD JACK AND A FRIEND
SINGING A POPULAR SONG,
"FLAT FOOT FLOOGIE," HE TOOK
OFFENSE AND THREW THEM IN JAIL.
LATER, JACK AND SOME FRIENDS
WERE INSULTED BY A WHITE MAN
WHO HAD PULLED UP
ALONGSIDE THEIR CAR.
A CROWD GATHERED.
MAN AS JACKIE ROBINSON: THEN,
ALL OF A SUDDEN THERE WAS
THE WHINE OF A SIREN
AND A MOTORCYCLE COP
WOBBLED HIS MACHINE
THROUGH THE CROWD.
HE PULLED OUT HIS REVOLVER
AND BEGAN YELLING.
I FOUND MYSELF UP AGAINST
THE SIDE OF MY CAR
WITH A GUN BARREL
PRESSED UNSTEADILY
INTO THE PIT OF MY STOMACH.
I WAS SCARED TO DEATH.
NARRATOR: ROBINSON
WAS ARRESTED AGAIN.
BUT HE NEVER GAVE IN.
IN PASADENA,
HE MOVED DOWN FROM
THE SEGREGATED BALCONY
OF THE MOVIE THEATER
ONTO THE MAIN FLOOR,
AND WHEN THE STAFF BEHIND
A WOOLWORTH'S LUNCH COUNTER
WAS RELUCTANT TO SERVE HIM,
HE STAYED ON HIS STOOL
UNTIL SOMEONE DID.
JACK'S SUCCESS AT SPORTS MADE
HIM A SOUGHT-AFTER RECRUIT
AMONG THE FEW 4-YEAR COLLEGES
THAT WOULD EVEN CONSIDER
A BLACK PLAYER.
AN ALUMNUS OF ALL-WHITE
STANFORD UNIVERSITY
OFFERED TO PAY HIS
COLLEGE TUITION AT ANY SCHOOL
WHERE HE WOULD NOT
PLAY AGAINST STANFORD.
JACK TURNED HIM DOWN
AND CHOSE NEARBY UCLA.
ARRIVING ON CAMPUS,
ROBINSON DISCOVERED THAT
WHILE THE ATHLETIC PROGRAMS
RECRUITED SOME BLACK ATHLETES,
THE STUDENT POPULATION WAS
LESS THAN 1% AFRICAN-AMERICAN.
THERE WAS NOT A SINGLE
BLACK FACULTY MEMBER.
BUT ON THE FOOTBALL FIELD,
ROBINSON WAS
IMMEDIATELY AT HOME.
IN A GAME AT THE UNIVERSITY
OF WASHINGTON,
ROBINSON RETURNED A PUNT
65-YARDS,
EARNING A STANDING OVATION
FROM THE OPPOSING FANS.
[CROWD CHEERING]
TRAILING OREGON
LATE IN ANOTHER GAME,
ROBINSON RAN 23 YARDS
FOR ONE TOUCHDOWN,
THEN DASHED 83 YARDS
TO SCORE AGAIN.
"I GUESS YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE
A MECHANIZED CAVALRY UNIT
TO STOP THIS GUY,"
OREGON'S COACH COMPLAINED.
THE PRESS BEGAN
TO CALL HIM JACKIE.
THAT WINTER, JACK STARRED
ON THE BASKETBALL TEAM.
IN THE SPRING, HE WON THE
NCAA TITLE IN THE BROAD JUMP
AND STARTED AT SHORTSTOP
ON THE BASEBALL TEAM.
BY THE END OF HIS
FIRST FULL YEAR,
HE HAD LETTERED IN
4 VARSITY SPORTS.
MAN: YOU COULD MAKE AN ARGUMENT
THAT JACKIE ROBINSON
WAS THE GREATEST ATHLETE
IN AMERICAN HISTORY.
HIS ABILITY AS A BASKETBALL
PLAYER, AS A TRACK STAR,
AS A BASEBALL PLAYER,
AS A FOOTBALL PLAYER.
JACKIE ROBINSON
COULD HAVE BEEN A STAR
IN EVERY SINGLE
ONE OF THOSE SPORTS.
NOT JUST A GOOD PLAYER,
BUT A SUPERSTAR.
MAN 2: HERE'S THE CONTEXT,
THOUGH: THE "LOS ANGELES TIMES"
WOULD SAY, "DUSKY
JACKIE ROBINSON...
"CARRIED THE FOOTBALL AS THOUGH
HE WAS CARRYING A WATERMELON,
RUNNING FROM ITS OWNER
WHO HAD A SHOTGUN."
THAT WAS SPORTS WRITING
WHEN JACKIE ROBINSON
WAS BEGINNING HIS
ATHLETIC ASCENT.
NARRATOR: IN THE FALL OF 1940,
ROBINSON'S SENIOR YEAR AT UCLA,
HE MET A 17-YEAR-OLD NURSING
STUDENT FROM LOS ANGELES
NAMED RACHEL ISUM.
SHE WAS THE STUDIOUS
AND DRIVEN DAUGHTER
OF A DISABLED
WORLD WAR I VETERAN
AND HIS WIFE,
A SELF-EMPLOYED CATERER.
RACHEL ROBINSON: FIRST OF ALL,
HE WAS BIG MAN ON CAMPUS
AND VERY ATTRACTIVE
IN THAT RESPECT.
I EXPECTED HIM
TO HAVE A BIG EGO
AND BE AN IMPOSSIBLE
PERSON TO TALK TO.
I WAS REALLY, REALLY SURPRISED
WHEN HE CAME UP TO ME AND HE
HAD THIS BEAUTIFUL SMILE.
HE RELATED TO ME
QUICKLY AND EASILY.
AND I HAD TO RETHINK MY VIEW OF
HIM AS AN ATHLETE AND A MAN.
NARRATOR: JACKIE WAS DRAWN
TO RACHEL'S CHARM, AMBITION,
AND HER BEAUTY.
HE WAS AT EASE WITH HER,
HE REMEMBERED,
AND FELT THAT HE COULD
TELL HER ANYTHING
AND SHE WOULD BE HONEST
AND DIRECT IN RETURN.
RACHEL LOVED THAT JACKIE
WORE WHITE SHIRTS,
WHICH EMPHASIZED HIS DARK SKIN.
"HE WAS NEVER, EVER ASHAMED
OF HIS COLOR," SHE RECALLED.
RACHEL ROBINSON: I ENCOURAGED
HIM TO COURT ME
BECAUSE WE PARKED IN
THE SAME PARKING LOT,
AND I USED TO GET THERE EARLY
SO I COULD PARK
SO I COULD SEE HIM
IN THE MORNING.
SO, I WAS A PART OF THAT
COURTSHIP...UM....
BUT I LOVED HIM VERY SOON AFTER
AND WANTED TO BE WITH HIM.
NARRATOR: IN MARCH OF 1941,
JACKIE OFFICIALLY
WITHDREW FROM UCLA.
HE WAS JUST A FEW MONTHS SHY
OF GRADUATION.
RACHEL ROBINSON: JACK WAS
NOT A GREAT STUDENT.
HE'S LIKE A C STUDENT.
AND GOT HIS WORK IN
AND DID WHAT HE HAD TO DO
IN ORDER TO GET
OUT ON THE FIELD.
YOU CAN ONLY HAVE 4 YEARS
TO PLAY COLLEGE SPORTS.
SO, WHEN HIS ELIGIBILITY WAS UP,
HE LOST HIS INTEREST IN SCHOOL,
BUT HE SAYS IT'S BECAUSE MALLIE
NEEDED HIM TO GO TO WORK.
MAN: YOU JUST HAD
TWO SEPARATE SOCIETIES.
YOU HAD A BLACK SOCIETY,
A WHITE SOCIETY.
I COULD BECOME A POLICEMAN BUT
I COULDN'T ARREST WHITE PEOPLE;
A LAWYER--I COULDN'T
REPRESENT WHITE PEOPLE;
A DOCTOR--I COULDN'T TREAT
WHITE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW.
A BASEBALL PLAYER, BUT
I COULDN'T PLAY WITH WHITES.
YOU WAS NOT INCLUDED
AS A CITIZEN OF THIS COUNTRY.
NARRATOR: SINCE EMANCIPATION,
AFRICAN-AMERICANS REMAINED
LARGELY IMPOVERISHED,
SUPPRESSED BY SEGREGATION,
AND TERRORIZED BY
WHITE VIOLENCE.
BUT THEY HAD CREATED THEIR OWN
BUSINESSES NONETHELESS--
CATERING EXCLUSIVELY
TO BLACK PATRONS--
BEAUTY SALONS AND BANKS,
BARBERSHOPS AND FUNERAL PARLORS.
FOR DECADES,
THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
FOR THE ADVANCEMENT
OF COLORED PEOPLE
HAD CAMPAIGNED
AGAINST LYNCHING.
THE BROTHERHOOD OF
SLEEPING CAR PORTERS
DEMANDED BETTER WAGES
AND WORKING CONDITIONS
FOR ITS MEMBERS.
BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
THROUGHOUT THE OLD CONFEDERACY
IGNITED EXPECTATIONS
WITH EACH NEW GRADUATING CLASS.
NATIONWIDE, BLACK NEWSPAPERS
INFORMED
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS
OF READERS.
IN SPORTS, JACK JOHNSON
AND LATER JOE LOUIS
REIGNED AS HEAVYWEIGHT
BOXING CHAMPION,
EACH DEFEATING WHITE FIGHTERS
FOR THE TITLE.
[CROWD CHEERING]
AND BECAUSE AFRICAN-AMERICANS
WERE BARRED FROM
PLAYING IN THE MAJOR LEAGUES
OF AMERICA'S NATIONAL PASTIME,
THEY FORMED THEIR OWN SEPARATE
BUT ATHLETICALLY EQUAL
LEAGUES AND TEAMS.
MANY OF THE NEGRO LEAGUES'
TOP PLAYERS--
COOL PAPA BELL, JOSH GIBSON,
LEROY SATCHEL PAIGE--
HAD MORE THAN ENOUGH TALENT
FOR THE MAJORS.
THERE HAD BEEN A FEW BLACK
PLAYERS IN THE MAJOR LEAGUES
AFTER THE CIVIL WAR, BUT BY
THE 1890S, THEY WERE GONE--
FORCED OUT BY A SO-CALLED
"GENTLEMAN'S AGREEMENT."
MAN: IT'S VERY HARD
TO MAINTAIN THE FICTION
THAT AFRICAN-AMERICANS COULD
WALK ONTO A MAJOR LEAGUE FIELD
IF ONLY THEY WERE GOOD ENOUGH.
THERE WAS NO PIONEERING OWNER
WHO WAS GOING TO SPEAK
FOR AFRICAN-AMERICANS.
SO, THERE WAS NO
ACTION REQUIRED
TO ENFORCE
THE GENTLEMAN'S AGREEMENT.
IT JUST PROCEEDED OF
ITS OWN NOXIOUS FORCE.
NARRATOR: THE WHITE PRESS RARELY
DISCUSSED BASEBALL'S COLOR LINE,
BUT IN THE 1930S, IN THE PAGES
OF THE "PITTSBURGH COURIER,"
HARLEM'S "AMSTERDAM NEWS,"
THE "BALTIMORE AFRO-AMERICAN,"
AND "THE CHICAGO DEFENDER"--
BLACK SPORTSWRITERS LAUNCHED
A DECADE-LONG ASSAULT
ON THE BAN.
WENDELL SMITH OF
THE "PITTSBURGH COURIER,"
THE COUNTRY'S LARGEST
BLACK NEWSPAPER,
INSISTED THAT HIS PAPER ATTACK
THE PROHIBITION OF BLACKS
IN THE MAJOR LEAGUES
"UNTIL WE DROP
FROM EXHAUSTION."
SMITH INTERVIEWED
PLAYERS, MANAGERS,
AND TOP MAJOR LEAGUE EXECUTIVES
ABOUT THEIR VIEWS
ON THE COLOR LINE.
THEY ALL BLAMED OTHERS
FOR THE BAN.
THE COMMISSIONER OF BASEBALL,
KENNESAW MOUNTAIN LANDIS,
AN IMPLACABLE FOE
OF INTEGRATION,
CLAIMED THAT THE "SUBJECT OF
NEGRO BALL PLAYERS
HAD NEVER COME UP."
IN THE SUMMER OF 1941,
JACKIE ROBINSON
WORKED FOR A TIME
COORDINATING ATHLETICS
AT A YOUTH CAMP.
WHEN THE CAMP DISBANDED,
HE JOINED AN INTEGRATED
SEMI-PRO FOOTBALL TEAM
IN HONOLULU,
SUPPLEMENTING HIS INCOME
WITH A CONSTRUCTION JOB
NEAR THE AMERICAN NAVAL BASE
AT PEARL HARBOR.
ON DECEMBER 5, 1941, WITH HIS
BRIEF FOOTBALL SEASON OVER,
JACKIE SET SAIL ON
THE "SS LURLINE,"
HEADING HOME TO CALIFORNIA.
TWO DAYS LATER,
JACKIE NOTICED THE CREW
PAINTING THE PORTHOLES
OF THE SHIP BLACK.
MAN ON RADIO:
THE WHITE HOUSE ANNOUNCES
JAPANESE ATTACK
ON PEARL HARBOR.
STAY TUNED TO WOR
FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS,
WHICH WILL BE BROADCAST
IMMEDIATELY AS RECEIVED.
NARRATOR: BEFORE THE SECOND
WORLD WAR BEGAN, LESS THAN 2% OF
ACTIVE DUTY SERVICEMEN
IN THE ARMY AND NAVY
WERE AFRICAN-AMERICAN.
NOW BLACKS ENTERED THE MILITARY
IN EVER INCREASING NUMBERS.
BELAFONTE: WHEN I ENLISTED
IN THE UNITED STATES NAVY,
MY ROMANTIC,
ADVENTUROUS VIEW OF
THIS CHALLENGING MOMENT
IN OUR HISTORY
WAS TO BE OFF SOMEWHERE
IN THE BIG BATTLES OF, AH,
NAVAL HISTORY AT THAT TIME.
BUT NOTHING COULD HAVE BEEN
FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH.
WE WERE RELEGATED TO THE MOST
MENIAL OF TASKS AS SERVICEMEN.
IF YOU WERE BLACK,
YOU WERE A COOK
AND YOU DEALT
IN THE MESS HALL.
NOT ONE IOTA OF WHAT THEY SAID
THAT WAR WAS ABOUT
WAS IMPARTED TO US.
NARRATOR: IN THE SPRING
OF 1942,
23-YEAR-OLD JACKIE ROBINSON
WAS DRAFTED INTO THE ARMY
AND SENT TO FORT RILEY,
IN KANSAS, FOR BASIC TRAINING.
HE PROVED TO BE
AN EXPERT MARKSMAN,
AND HIS COLLEGE EDUCATION
AND ATHLETIC TALENTS
MADE HIM AN OBVIOUS CHOICE
FOR OFFICER CANDIDATE SCHOOL.
BUT WHEN HE APPLIED,
HE WAS REJECTED.
JACKIE WAS NOT EVEN WELCOME ON
THE BASEBALL DIAMONDS
AT FORT RILEY,
WHERE THE COACH HAD DECLARED,
"I'LL BREAK UP THE TEAM
BEFORE I'LL HAVE
A NIGGER ON IT."
BUT JACKIE SOON FOUND
AN IMPORTANT ALLY.
JOE LOUIS, THE HEAVYWEIGHT
CHAMPION OF THE WORLD,
HAD ENLISTED AND WAS
SENT TO FORT RILEY.
THE BOXER MADE A CALL TO
A FRIEND AT THE WAR DEPARTMENT
ON ROBINSON'S BEHALF,
AND BY THE END OF 1942,
HE HAD BEEN ACCEPTED INTO
OFFICER CANDIDATE SCHOOL,
GRADUATING A FEW MONTHS LATER
AS A SECOND LIEUTENANT.
RACHEL ROBINSON:
HE WROTE ME EVERY WEEK.
AND EVERY FRIDAY HE SENT ME
A BOX OF CHOCOLATES.
SO, MY DORM, THEY WOULD
GATHER ON FRIDAY
FOR MY BOX OF CHOCOLATES.
BUT HE WROTE WONDERFUL LETTERS.
VERY, VERY WONDERFUL LETTERS.
MAN: ¶ ...IS I'M IN LOVE
WITH YOU, EVEN THOUGH... ¶
MAN AS JACKIE ROBINSON:
LAST NIGHT, MY DARLING,
I THOUGHT ABOUT OUR LOVE
AND HOW WONDERFUL IT IS.
AS LONG AS I KNOW YOUR LOVE
IS STRONG, I'LL MAKE IT.
TOGETHER WE FORM A STRONG TEAM
AND I'M NOT AFRAID
OF THE FUTURE AT ALL.
MAN: ¶ ...WHERE
OUR LOVE HAS GONE ¶
NARRATOR: DURING A BRIEF LEAVE
IN MARCH OF 1943,
JACKIE VISITED RACHEL
AND PRESENTED HER
WITH A DIAMOND ENGAGEMENT RING.
SHE SAID YES.
MAN: ¶ NEVER DREAMED YOU'D... ¶
NARRATOR: BUT LATER,
AT FORT RILEY,
JACKIE RECEIVED
A LETTER FROM RACHEL.
SHE WAS JOINING
THE CADET NURSE CORPS,
A STUDENT ORGANIZATION THAT
WOULD HELP HER PAY FOR SCHOOL.
BELIEVING THAT RACHEL
WAS NOW IN THE ARMY,
WHERE SHE WOULD BE SPENDING
HER TIME WITH OTHER SOLDIERS,
JACKIE RECALLED, "I SHOOK WITH
RAGE AND YOUTHFUL JEALOUSY."
HE WROTE BACK, INSISTING
THAT SHE NOT JOIN.
HE GOT VERY UPSET,
'CAUSE HE THOUGHT I WAS
COMING INTO THE ARMY AS A NURSE
AND I WASN'T.
SO, WE HAD A LITTLE, THAT WAS
ONE OF OUR, OUR LITTLE SPATS.
AND I HAD TO SEND HIM HIS RING
BACK SO HE WOULDN'T THINK
HE COULD TELL ME WHAT TO DO.
MAN: ¶ I WONDER
WHERE OUR LOVE HAS GONE ¶
NARRATOR: THEY BROKE UP.
IN APRIL 1944,
ROBINSON WAS TRANSFERRED
TO CAMP HOOD IN TEXAS.
HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE
ALL-BLACK 761ST TANK BATTALION,
WHICH WAS TRAINING
TO FIGHT IN EUROPE
AS PART OF GENERAL
GEORGE PATTON'S THIRD ARMY.
JACKIE ROBINSON FULLY EXPECTED
THAT HE WOULD BE GOING
TO WAR WITH THEM.
MAN: THE BROOKLYN OF THE 1940S
WAS MORE A VILLAGE
THAN A BOROUGH,
MORE A BOROUGH THAN A CITY.
IT WAS REALLY VERY IDYLLIC.
AND MANHATTAN, WHICH WE NEVER
CALLED MANHATTAN,
WE REFERRED TO AS THE CITY,
WE NEVER WENT TO.
THERE WAS NO REASON
TO GO TO IT.
ANYTHING WE EVER WANTED WAS
RIGHT IN OUR LITTLE VILLAGE,
WHAT WE USED TO CALL
"BENSONHOIST."
IT WAS ALL WHITE; IT WAS EITHER
ITALIAN OR IT WAS JEWISH.
WE HAD NO IRISH PEOPLE.
SURELY THERE WERE NO BLACKS.
IT WAS JUST US, VILLAGERS.
MAN 2:
WHERE WE WERE, BED STUY,
IT WAS A VERY
MIXED NEIGHBORHOOD.
THERE WERE PEOPLE FROM
EVERY CORNER OF THE EARTH.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD WAS KIND OF
SELF-CONTAINED IN THE SENSE THAT
THE PARENTS LOOKED OUT
FOR THE CHILDREN.
IT WAS JUST A NICE PLACE TO BE:
NICE HOMES, NICE KIDS,
NICE PARENTS.
MAN ON RADIO: BACK AT
EBBETS FIELD, BROOKLYN.
TO US, BROOKLYN
AND THE BROOKLYN DODGERS
WERE SYNONYMOUS,
ONE AND THE SAME THING.
BUT WE DIDN'T GO SEE
THE BROOKLYN DODGERS PLAY.
MOST OF US DIDN'T.
WE DIDN'T HAVE THE MONEY.
MAN ON RADIO: NOW HERE'S REISER,
HE'S BEEN UP TWICE,
HE'S HAD ONE HIT.
THE FIRST PITCH, HE HITS A HIGH
FLY BALL INTO RIGHT FIELD.
IT'S A HOME RUN...
WALDON, JR.: WE WOULD CREATE A
DIAMOND IN THE STREET WITH CHALK
AND PLAY GAMES,
APING AS BEST WE COULD
WHAT THE DODGERS WERE DOING
OUT AT EBBETS FIELD.
MAN ON RADIO: THE DODGERS
HAVE THE BASES FOB,
THEY ARE FULL OF BROOKLYNS.
UHLBERG: AND WHAT YOU
LISTENED TO ON THE RADIO
WAS ONE THING
AND ONE THING ONLY
AND THAT WAS RED BARBER,
ANNOUNCING THE GAMES
FOR THE BROOKLYN DODGERS.
BARBER: AND IT'S NOW
A 3-TO-2 BALL GAME,
THE TYING RUN'S AT SECOND
AND THEY'RE GOING WILD
HERE IN BROOKLYN.
WALDON, JR.:
EVERY KID, NO MATTER WHERE
HE'S FROM IN BROOKLYN,
WHETHER IT WAS FROM CONEY ISLAND
OR BENSONHURST OR BUSHWICK
OR WHERE WE WERE IN BED STUY,
BASEBALL WAS DE RIGUEUR.
NARRATOR: SINCE 1913,
THE BROOKLYN DODGERS
OF THE NATIONAL LEAGUE
HAD PLAYED THEIR HOME GAMES
AT EBBETS FIELD,
AN INTIMATE BALLPARK IN THE
FLATBUSH SECTION OF BROOKLYN
FEATURING A MARBLE ROTUNDA
WITH CHANDELIERS
MADE IN THE SHAPE
OF BATS AND BALLS.
NO MATTER
THE ELEGANT SURROUNDINGS,
THE TEAM WAS BEST KNOWN
FOR THE HAPLESS WAY
THEY PERFORMED ON THE FIELD.
LOYAL FANS CALLED THEM
"DEM BUMS."
UHLBERG: EVERY YEAR
BEGAN WITH HIGH HOPES;
AND THROUGHOUT THE YEAR
WE HAD UPS AND DOWNS;
AND COME THE END OF
THE YEAR, DISASTER.
"WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR"
WAS THE CRY.
NARRATOR: IN 1942, THE DODGERS
HIRED BRANCH RICKEY
AS PRESIDENT
AND GENERAL MANAGER.
HE WOULD SET IN MOTION
EVENTS THAT WOULD HAVE
A PROFOUND EFFECT ON
THE GAME OF BASEBALL--
AND THE HISTORY OF
THE UNITED STATES.
BORN ON A FARM IN
STOCKDALE, OHIO IN 1881,
WESLEY BRANCH RICKEY WAS
A DEVOUT WESLEYAN METHODIST
WITH A FIERCE SENSE
OF MORAL JUSTICE.
A FAILED CATCHER
WITH A LAW DEGREE,
RICKEY HAD ALREADY TRANSFORMED
THE CASH-STRAPPED
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
INTO A PERENNIAL CONTENDER
BY DEVELOPING HIS OWN
YOUNG TALENT.
HE WAS SHREWD, RELENTLESS,
AND WILLING TO EXPERIMENT.
OVER 23 SEASONS WITH THE
CARDINALS, HIS CLUB WOULD WIN
6 PENNANTS AND 4
WORLD SERIES TITLES.
MAN: AT THE HEIGHT
OF HIS FAME IN ST. LOUIS,
ONE OF THE SPORTSWRITERS SAID,
"HE HAD THE FACE OF A DEACON,
THE MANNERS OF A DIPLOMAT,
"AND HE COULD GET IN
AND OUT OF YOUR POCKETS
WITHOUT MUSSING A HAIR."
EIG: HE WAS
A VERY RELIGIOUS MAN.
HE WOULD NOT PLAY ON SUNDAYS.
HE WOULD NOT, AH,
ATTEND GAMES ON SUNDAYS,
ALTHOUGH HE WOULD HAPPILY TAKE
THE, THE MONEY, AH,
FROM GAMES THAT WERE PLAYED ON
SUNDAYS WHEN HE BECAME AN OWNER.
SO, HE, HE, HE HAD THESE
VERY STRICT MORALS;
HE HAD THESE VERY HIGH LOFTY
VALUES; THIS GREAT INTELLECT;
BUT HE WAS ALSO
A VERY PRAGMATIC MAN.
HE STILL LIKED THE IDEA
OF, OF MAKING MONEY.
MAN: YOU'D GO IN
AFTER YOU'D HAD A GOOD YEAR.
AND YOU WANNA TALK TO THE BOSS
NOW BEHIND THE BIG DESK,
AND YOU'RE GONNA SIT THERE AND
PLEAD YOUR CASE TO GET A RAISE.
HE'D DISARM YA BEFORE YOU GOT
STARTED BY SMILING AND SAYIN',
"SON, YOU HAD A NICE YEAR.
WE'VE DECIDED TO
LET YOU COME BACK."
"REALLY? THANK YOU,
MR. RICKEY." [LAUGHS]
NARRATOR: TO MANAGE HIS TEAM,
RICKEY HIRED BACK LEO DUROCHER,
A FORMER SHORTSTOP WITH
A TASTE FOR THE HIGH LIFE
AND TIES TO NOTORIOUS GAMBLERS.
HE ALSO LURED TWO KEY SCOUTS
AWAY FROM ST. LOUIS,
PURGED THE ROSTER OF
POPULAR BUT EXPENSIVE STARS,
AND PROMISED TO DELIVER BIG
PROFITS TO THE SHAREHOLDERS.
BUT FOR YEARS, RICKEY HAD BEEN
HAUNTED BY THE DISCRIMINATION
HE HAD WITNESSED IN HIS COUNTRY
AND IN ITS NATIONAL GAME.
NOW HE RESOLVED TO DO
SOMETHING ABOUT IT:
TO BRING BLACK PLAYERS
TO THE DODGERS.
EIG: THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY
WITH INTEGRATION TO ACCOMPLISH
SEVERAL OF HIS FAVORITE THINGS:
ONE WAS TO DO THE RIGHT THING,
TO REALLY PROMOTE
AND LIVE THE VALUES
THAT HE PREACHED
AS A RELIGIOUS MAN.
HE ALSO REALLY LIKED TO WIN AND
HE SAW A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE.
THERE WERE THESE GREAT POOLS OF
TALENT IN THE NEGRO LEAGUES
THAT WERE NOT BEING TAPPED.
AND I THINK HE SAW THAT THERE
WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING IN
BLACK FANS TO THE BALLPARK.
NARRATOR: IN EARLY 1943,
THE CLUB'S DIRECTORS PLEDGED
THEIR SUPPORT TO RICKEY'S PLAN
TO INTEGRATE THE DODGERS.
RICKEY IMMEDIATELY
INSTRUCTED HIS SCOUTS
TO BEGIN SEARCHING
FOR THE RIGHT MAN.
BACK AT CAMP HOOD, TEXAS,
THE 761ST TANK BATTALION
WAS PREPARING TO GO OVERSEAS.
ON THE EVENING OF JULY 6, 1944,
ONE MONTH AFTER ALLIED FORCES
LANDED IN NORMANDY,
JACKIE ROBINSON
BOARDED A MILITARY BUS
HEADED TO NEARBY TEMPLE, TEXAS.
RACHEL ROBINSON: HE GOT ON
THE BUS, ON THE ARMY GROUNDS,
AND HE SAT NEXT TO A WOMAN
WHO LOOKED LIKE SHE WAS WHITE.
SHE WAS A FRIEND OF HIS.
AND SHE WASN'T WHITE.
THE BUS DRIVER
CAME BACK AND SAID,
"MOVE TO THE BACK OF THE BUS."
AND JACK REFUSED.
HE SAID, "I WILL NOT."
MAN AS JACKIE ROBINSON:
I IGNORED HIM.
I HAD JUST SEEN
THE ARMY REGULATIONS
THAT HAD BEEN SENT OUT:
NO DISCRIMINATION ON ANY
ARMY VEHICLE ON AN ARMY POST
IN THE UNITED STATES.
I REFUSED TO ALLOW
THIS CIVILIAN
TO DICTATE TO ME
WHERE I WAS GONNA SIT.
EVERYTHING WOULD HAVE BEEN
ALL RIGHT IF I HAD BEEN
A "YASSUH BOSS" TYPE.
NARRATOR: AT THE LAST STOP
ON THE BASE, THE BUS DRIVER
DEMANDED JACKIE'S
IDENTIFICATION.
A WHITE WOMAN THREATENED
TO PRESS CHARGES.
WITNESSES RECALLED JACKIE
SWEARING AT HER,
BUT ROBINSON CLAIMED THAT HE
HAD ONLY TOLD THE BUS DRIVER,
"QUIT ... WITH ME."
THE MILITARY POLICE ARRIVED AND
WERE DISRESPECTFUL TO ROBINSON.
HE REFUSED TO BACK DOWN.
BRYANT: THINK ABOUT THE NUMBER
OF BLACK MEN IN 1944
WHO CHALLENGED WHITE AUTHORITY
IN SUCH A BOLD WAY,
NOT JUST REFUSING
TO GIVE UP HIS SEAT,
NOT JUST REFUSING
TO DO WHAT HE WAS TOLD,
BUT TO ACTIVELY STAND UP
AND SWEAR AT THEM.
EARLY: THE FACT
THAT HE STOOD UP
AND HE SPOKE IN
A VERY, VERY AGGRESSIVE WAY
TO THE OFFICERS THAT CAME WAS
EXTREMELY THREATENING...AH...
AND EXTREMELY UNSETTLING TO THE
WHITE PEOPLE WHO WERE THERE.
HE WAS VERY LUCKY IN MANY
RESPECTS THAT HE WASN'T...
UM...THAT IT DIDN'T
TURN VIOLENT.
NARRATOR: ROBINSON WAS
ARRESTED AND CHARGED
WITH INSUBORDINATION.
THE TRIAL BEGAN
ON AUGUST 2, 1944.
IN HIS TESTIMONY, JACKIE
ADMITTED THAT HE HAD THREATENED
A PRIVATE WHO HAD INSULTED HIM.
"IF YOU EVER CALL ME A NIGGER
AGAIN I'LL BREAK YOU IN TWO,"
HE'D SAID.
WHEN ASKED WHAT THE WORD NIGGER
MEANT, ROBINSON SAID,
"MY GRANDMOTHER WAS A SLAVE,
"AND SHE SAID THE DEFINITION
OF THE WORD
"WAS A LOW, UNCOUTH PERSON.
"I DON'T CONSIDER THAT
I AM LOW AND UNCOUTH.
I DO NOT CONSIDER MYSELF
A NIGGER AT ALL."
MAN: JACK AS A YOUNG MAN
ALWAYS RAILED
AGAINST SEGREGATION.
HE ALWAYS CARRIED HIMSELF
WITH A SENSE OF DIGNITY
AND A SENSE OF PURPOSE
IN A WAY THAT SAYS,
"I WILL NOT BE IGNORED.
I WILL NOT BE DENIED."
WHAT YOU SEE AT THE FOREFRONT
OF JACK'S CONSCIOUSNESS
AT ALL TIMES IS THE FACT THAT HE
HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO THE RACE
TO DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE
TO ENSURE THAT
THEY'LL WIN FULL EQUALITY.
AND JACK IN THAT SENSE IS
THE QUINTESSENTIAL RACE MAN.
NARRATOR: ROBINSON WAS FOUND
NOT GUILTY OF ALL CHARGES.
BUT HE WAS DISGUSTED WITH THE
WAY THE ARMY HAD TREATED HIM.
HE WROTE A SHARPLY WORDED LETTER
TO THE ADJUTANT GENERAL,
ASKING TO BE RETIRED
FROM THE MILITARY.
THE ARMY GRANTED HIM
AN HONORABLE DISCHARGE.
[EXPLOSION]
WHILE ROBINSON WAS ON TRIAL,
THE 761ST BATTALION
HAD GONE OFF TO WAR.
THEY BECAME THE FIRST
ARMORED UNIT OF
AFRICAN-AMERICAN SOLDIERS
TO SEE COMBAT.
ONE DAY WHILE WAITING
FOR WORD OF HIS RELEASE,
ROBINSON HAD WALKED
PAST A BASEBALL FIELD
WHERE A SOLDIER WAS
PRACTICING HIS CURVEBALL.
AFTER THE TWO PLAYED CATCH,
THE SOLDIER TOLD JACKIE
THAT THE KANSAS CITY MONARCHS
OF THE NEGRO NATIONAL LEAGUE
WERE LOOKING FOR GOOD PLAYERS.
WHEN ROBINSON RETURNED
TO PASADENA,
HIS MOTHER SUGGESTED
THAT HE CALL RACHEL.
THEY WERE STILL ESTRANGED.
"AFTER THE FIRST FEW WORDS,"
HE RECALLED,
"I KNEW SHE WAS HAPPY
TO HEAR FROM ME.
"I SET SOME KIND
OF SPEED RECORD
GETTING TO SAN FRANCISCO."
THEY AGREED TO RESUME
THEIR ENGAGEMENT.
RACHEL ROBINSON:
I FELT HE ADORED ME.
AND I CHERISHED THAT.
HE DIDN'T JUST RESPECT ME,
HE NEEDED ME.
HE...AH...WANTED ME
TO DO THINGS WITH HIM.
HE...AH...WAS....AH...LOVING IN,
IN THE WAY HE APPROACHED ME.
THERE WAS THAT KIND OF SHARING
FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.
I SAW THE POTENTIAL IN HIM
TO GO SOMEPLACE.
AND EVEN TAKE A KIND OF
LEADERSHIP ROLE IN WHAT HE DID.
I HAD NO IDEA WHAT
THE FUTURE HELD...AH....
I THOUGHT THAT
THERE WAS A FUTURE.
AND THAT WAS IMPORTANT TO ME.
NARRATOR: IN LATE MARCH, 1945,
JACKIE ROBINSON REPORTED TO
THE KANSAS CITY MONARCHS
SPRING TRAINING CAMP IN HOUSTON,
WHERE HE MADE THE TEAM
AS SHORTSTOP.
MAN: WHEN JACKIE
CAME TO THE MONARCHS,
WE'D BEEN GOING FOR 30 YEARS,
GOING TO THIS
FILLING STATION IN OKLAHOMA.
WE'D BUY THE GAS BUT
WE COULDN'T USE THE RESTROOM.
JACKIE WANTED TO USE THE
RESTROOM, SO JACKIE SAY,
"I'M GOING TO THE RESTROOM."
MAN SAY, "BOY, YOU CAN'T
GO TO THAT RESTROOM."
JACKIE SAID, "TAKE THE HOSE
OUT THE TANK."
TOOK THE, TAKE THE HOSE
OUT THE TANK.
THIS GUY GONNA SELL 50 GALLONS,
I MEAN 100 GALLONS OF GAS.
HE AIN'T GOING TO SELL 100
GALLONS OF GAS IN ANOTHER MONTH.
SEE, SO HE SAY, "WELL,
THEN, I TELL YOU WHAT."
SAY, JACKIE SAID, "WE DON'T GET,
WE CAN'T GO TO RESTROOM,
"WE WON'T GET ANY GAS HERE.
WE GET IT SOMEPLACE ELSE."
HE SAID, "WELL, YOU BOYS
CAN GO TO THE RESTROOM
BUT DON'T STAY LONG."
SO, ACTUALLY, HE STARTED
SOMETHING THERE.
NOW, EVERY PLACE WE WOULD GO,
WE WANTED TO KNOW FIRST
COULD WE USE THE RESTROOM.
IF WE COULDN'T USE
THE RESTROOM--NO GAS.
NARRATOR: JACKIE HATED
LIFE IN THE NEGRO LEAGUES.
MAN AS JACKIE ROBINSON: THE
TEAMS WERE POORLY FINANCED.
TRAVEL SCHEDULES WERE
UNBELIEVABLY HECTIC.
SOME OF THE CRUMMY EATING JOINTS
WOULD NOT SERVE US AT ALL.
YOU WERE LUCKY IF THEY
MAGNANIMOUSLY PERMITTED YOU
TO CARRY OUT SOME GREASY
HAMBURGERS IN A PAPER BAG
WITH A CONTAINER OF COFFEE.
YOU WERE REALLY LIVING
WHEN YOU WERE ABLE
TO GET A PLATE OF COLD CUTS.
RACHEL ROBINSON: BUT WHAT HE
LOVED ABOUT IT WAS BEING WITH
SATCHEL PAIGE
AND SOME OF THE GREATS.
AND HE GOT A CHANCE
TO LEARN FROM THEM
AND GOT A CHANCE
TO ASSOCIATE WITH THEM.
NARRATOR: ROBINSON HAD PLAYED--
AND PLAYED WELL--IN ONLY A FEW
EXHIBITION GAMES
IN EARLY APRIL,
WHEN HE GOT A CALL
FROM WENDELL SMITH,
THE "PITTSBURGH COURIER"
SPORTSWRITER.
UNDER PRESSURE FROM
AN ACTIVIST CITY COUNCILMAN,
THE BOSTON RED SOX HAD
RELUCTANTLY AGREED TO STAGE
A TRYOUT FOR 3 BLACK PLAYERS.
WENDELL SMITH ARRANGED FOR
MARVIN WILLIAMS OF
THE PHILADELPHIA STARS,
SAM JETHROE OF
THE CLEVELAND BUCKEYES,
AND JACKIE ROBINSON OF
THE KANSAS CITY MONARCHS
TO TRAVEL TO BOSTON
TO AUDITION AT FENWAY PARK.
"NOT FOR ONE MINUTE DID WE
BELIEVE THE TRYOUT WAS SINCERE,"
ROBINSON REMEMBERED.
HE RETURNED TO THE MONARCHS
AND NONE OF THE 3 PLAYERS
EVER HEARD FROM
THE RED SOX AGAIN.
MEANWHILE,
KENNESAW MOUNTAIN LANDIS,
WHO HAD DONE MORE
THAN ANY OTHER
TO PERPETUATE BASEBALL'S
COLOR LINE, HAD DIED.
THE NEW COMMISSIONER,
HAPPY CHANDLER,
AN EX-SENATOR FROM KENTUCKY,
SEEMED WILLING AT LEAST
TO DISCUSS INTEGRATION,
TELLING ONE BLACK REPORTER
THAT HE OPPOSED
"BARRING NEGROES FROM BASEBALL
JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE NEGROES."
BRANCH RICKEY SAW AN OPENING AND
BEGAN TO ACCELERATE HIS PLANS.
THEN HE RECEIVED A PHONE CALL
FROM WENDELL SMITH,
WHO HAD JUST ATTENDED
THE TRYOUT HELD BY THE RED SOX.
ONE OF THE 3 BLACK PLAYERS HAD
ESPECIALLY IMPRESSED THE SCOUTS.
HIS NAME WAS JACKIE ROBINSON.
RICKEY QUICKLY DISPATCHED HIS
SCOUTS TO SEE ROBINSON PLAY.
THE REPORTS WERE PROMISING.
HE BATTED WELL
WITH TWO STRIKES,
BUNTED BEAUTIFULLY, AND WAS
A STANDOUT AT SHORTSTOP.
RICKEY ALSO WANTED TO FIND OUT
ABOUT THE MAN HIMSELF.
OLD FRIENDS AND ACQUAINTANCES
TOLD HIM ABOUT
JACKIE'S HAIR-TRIGGER TEMPER,
HIS EARLY SCRAPES
WITH THE POLICE,
AND HOW, ONE FORMER TEAMMATE
SAID, HE WAS ALWAYS
"SHOOTING OFF HIS MOUTH ABOUT
HIS CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS."
THORN: IF RICKEY
WERE LOOKING FOR
THE BEST BALL PLAYER
IN THE NEGRO LEAGUES,
HE WOULD HAVE SIGNED
MONTE IRVIN
OR HE WOULD HAVE SIGNED
SAM JETHROE.
THOSE WOULD HAVE BEEN THE TWO
LOGICAL CANDIDATES.
ROBINSON WAS NOT IN
THEIR LEAGUE IN TERMS OF
DEMONSTRATED ABILITY
AT THE NEGRO LEAGUE LEVEL.
BUT RICKEY WAS NOT SHOPPING
MERELY FOR BASEBALL ABILITY;
HE WENT SHOPPING FOR CHARACTER.
RACHEL ROBINSON: HE NOT ONLY
NEEDED A TALENTED PERSON
BUT HE NEEDED SOMEONE WHO
WOULD EVENTUALLY FIGHT BACK.
HE NEEDED A SOLDIER.
[SHIP'S HORN BLOWS]
[PEOPLE CHEERING]
BELAFONTE: WE CAME HOME
TO CELEBRATE.
AND WE FOUND THAT AT
THE TABLE OF VICTORY
THERE'D BEEN NO PLACE SETTINGS
FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR.
WE HAD NO RIGHT AT THAT FEAST.
NARRATOR: THE SECOND WORLD WAR
HAD PUT IN STARK RELIEF
THE DISCRIMINATION THAT AFRICAN-
AMERICANS CONTINUED TO FACE.
BLACK SOLDIERS RETURNED FROM
FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM OVERSEAS
ONLY TO FIND THEY WERE
STILL BEING DENIED
FREEDOM AND OPPORTUNITY
AT HOME.
BELAFONTE: WE DIDN'T HAVE THE
RIGHT TO A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD.
WE DID NOT HAVE
THE RIGHT TO VOTE
AND WOULD FIGHT FOR
MANY, MANY MORE YEARS
TO GET THE RIGHT TO VOTE.
OUR STRUGGLE WAS FAR FROM OVER.
NARRATOR: WITH THE END
OF THE WAR,
THE CAMPAIGN TO INTEGRATE
BASEBALL WAS REINVIGORATED.
EIG: YOU HAD
COMMUNISTS ELECTED TO
THE CITY COUNCIL
IN NEW YORK CITY.
YOU HAD A MUCH STRONGER LABOR
MOVEMENT STARTING TO TAKE HOLD.
BASEBALL WAS SEEN
AS AN OPPORTUNITY.
BECAUSE IT WAS SO PUBLIC,
BECAUSE IT WAS SO BELOVED,
A LOT OF THESE GROUPS THOUGHT
IT MIGHT BE AN EASIER TARGET,
AND ONE THAT WOULD REALLY HAVE
GREAT SYMBOLIC STRENGTH.
SO, A LOT OF THEIR EFFORTS
WERE CONCENTRATED ON
PUSHING BASEBALL OWNERS
TO THINK ABOUT INTEGRATING.
MAN: THE PAPER
OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY
WAS CALLED THE "DAILY WORKER,"
AND IT HAD A ONE-MAN
SPORTS SECTION,
AND HIS NAME WAS LESTER RODNEY.
AND HE CAMPAIGNED TIRELESSLY
AND PASSIONATELY ON THE ISSUE
OF BLACKS BELONG
IN ORGANIZED BASEBALL.
NARRATOR: WHEN YANKEES' STAR
JOE DIMAGGIO
TOLD WHITE REPORTERS THAT THE
NEGRO LEAGUE'S SATCHEL PAIGE
WAS THE BEST PITCHER
HE'D EVER FACED,
"THE DAILY WORKER" WAS THE ONLY
PAPER THAT PRINTED HIS REMARKS.
ON OPENING DAY 1945,
COMMUNIST PARTY PROTESTERS
HAD GREETED FANS OUTSIDE YANKEE
STADIUM WITH BANNERS READING,
"IF WE CAN STOP BULLETS,
WHY NOT BALLS?"
BENJAMIN DAVIS, A COMMUNIST
CITY COUNCILMAN FROM HARLEM,
HANDED OUT FLYERS DEPICTING
A DEAD BLACK SOLDIER
AND A BLACK BASEBALL PLAYER.
THE CAPTION READ, "GOOD ENOUGH
TO DIE FOR HIS COUNTRY,
BUT NOT GOOD ENOUGH
FOR ORGANIZED BASEBALL."
NEW YORK CITY'S PROGRESSIVE
REPUBLICAN MAYOR,
FIORELLO LAGUARDIA,
ALSO GOT INVOLVED.
HE URGED THE CITY'S 3 BIG LEAGUE
CLUBS TO SIGN BLACK PLAYERS
AND FORMED A COMMITTEE
TO INVESTIGATE THEIR
DISCRIMINATORY
HIRING PRACTICES.
THORN: RICKEY STARTED TO GET
PRESSURE AND HE FEARED THAT
NOT ONLY HIS PLACE IN HISTORY,
BUT HIS ENTIRE PLAN,
WOULD UNRAVEL AND THAT HE WOULD
EVENTUALLY BE SEEN AS
RESPONDING TO POLITICAL
PRESSURES BY
SIGNING AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN.
RICKEY WANTED TO
DO IT HIS OWN WAY.
NARRATOR: BRANCH RICKEY CALLED
HIS SCOUT CLYDE SUKEFORTH.
SUKEFORTH: WELL,
HE CALLED ME AND HE SAID,
"I WANT YOU TO SEE A GAME
IN CHICAGO, FRIDAY NIGHT."
THE KANSAS CITY MONARCHS
ARE PLAYING IN THERE
WITH THE CHICAGO
LINCOLN GIANTS.
HE SAID, "PAYIN' PARTICULAR
ATTENTION TO A FELLA NAMED
ROBINSON."
NARRATOR: AFTER THE GAME,
SUKEFORTH INTRODUCED
HIMSELF TO ROBINSON
AND EXPLAINED THAT HE HAD COME
ON BEHALF OF BRANCH RICKEY.
SUKEFORTH: HE WAS POURING
THE QUESTIONS TO ME ABOUT
"WHY IS RICKEY
INTERESTED IN ME?"
AND THE MORE YOU
TALKED TO THE GUY
THE MORE YOU WERE
IMPRESSED WITH THE GUY.
THE DETERMINATION WRITTEN
ALL OVER HIM.
AND I SAID, "WE'LL
GO INTO BROOKLYN SUNDAY NIGHT
AND I'M SURE RICKEY CAN
ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS."
NARRATOR: AT 10:00 ON THE
MORNING OF AUGUST 28, 1945,
SUKEFORTH MET ROBINSON OUTSIDE
THE DODGERS OFFICES
ON MONTAGUE STREET
AND USHERED HIM UPSTAIRS
TO MEET BRANCH RICKEY.
INSIDE, RICKEY ROSE,
CIGAR IN HAND,
AND GREETED ROBINSON--AND THEN
RETURNED TO HIS SEAT
BEHIND HIS GREAT MAHOGANY DESK,
WHERE HE QUIETLY STARED AT
JACKIE, SUKEFORTH RECALLED,
"AS IF HE WERE TRYING
TO GET INSIDE THE MAN."
ROBINSON STARED RIGHT BACK.
RACHEL ROBINSON: WHEN HE FIRST
MET JACK HE SAID,
"DO YOU HAVE A WOMAN?"
AND JACK SAID, "YES."
HE SAID, "WELL,
YOU'LL NEED HER."
AND HE SORT OF PREDICTED THAT.
AND, AND THAT I THINK
WAS PART OF HIS PLAN.
I WAS A PART OF HIS PLAN.
NARRATOR: RICKEY ENCOURAGED
ROBINSON TO MARRY RACHEL.
THEN, AFTER A FLURRY OF
OTHER PERSONAL QUESTIONS,
TURNED THE CONVERSATION
TO BASEBALL.
SUKEFORTH: HE SAID, "WHAT I NEED
IS MORE THAN A GREAT PLAYER.
I NEED A MAN THAT WILL
TAKE ABUSE, INSULTS,"
AND HE SAID, AH,
"IN OTHER WORDS,
CARRY THE FLAG FOR THE RACE."
MR. RICKEY TOOK ROBINSON
INTO EVERY POSSIBLE
NEGATIVE SITUATION
HE WOULD ENCOUNTER.
HE SCREAMED IN HIS FACE
EVERY EXPLETIVE
THAT ROBINSON WOULD EVER HEAR.
AND HE SAID FINALLY,
"THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN BE
"THE FIRST MAN TO DO THIS,
IS YOU'LL HAVE TO PROMISE ME
"THAT YOU WILL NOT ANSWER BACK.
YOU CANNOT WIN THIS
BY A RETALIATION."
MAN AS JACKIE ROBINSON:
ALL MY LIFE I HAD BELIEVED IN
PAYBACK, RETALIATION.
THE MOST LUXURIOUS POSSESSION,
THE RICHEST TREASURE ANYBODY
HAS, IS HIS PERSONAL DIGNITY.
I HAD A QUESTION AND IT WAS
THE AGE-OLD ONE ABOUT
WHETHER OR NOT TO SELL
YOUR BIRTHRIGHT.
COULD I TURN THE OTHER CHEEK?
I DIDN'T KNOW HOW
I WOULD DO IT.
YET I KNEW THAT I MUST.
SUKEFORTH: AND HE SAID,
"MR. RICKEY,
"IF YOU WANT TO TAKE
THIS GAMBLE,
I'LL PROMISE YOU
THERE WILL BE NO INCIDENT."
AND THAT WAS JUST WHAT
RICKEY WANTED TO HEAR.
NARRATOR: BUT IF ROBINSON
WANTED TO MAKE THE DODGERS,
HE WOULD--LIKE MOST PLAYERS--
FIRST HAVE TO PROVE HIMSELF
IN THE MINOR LEAGUES.
IN THE WEEKS AHEAD, RICKEY MET
WITH SEVERAL OTHER
TALENTED NEGRO LEAGUERS,
INCLUDING A PROMISING YOUNG
RIGHT-HANDED PITCHER
NAMED DON NEWCOMBE
AND A STOCKY, POWER-HITTING
CATCHER, ROY CAMPANELLA,
WHO HAD TERRORIZED NEGRO
LEAGUE PITCHERS EVER SINCE
HE MADE THE BALTIMORE ELITE
GIANTS AT JUST 16 YEARS OLD.
THORN: WE HAVE JACKIE ROBINSON
POSITED AS THE LONE PIONEER.
BRANCH RICKEY KNEW THAT
ROBINSON WAS GOING TO BE
HIS PRIMARY CARRIER OF
THE NEWS, THE MESSAGE.
BUT HE INTENDED TO ALSO
BRING IN SOME OTHER PLAYERS
WHO WERE ROBINSON'S EQUAL
OR SUPERIOR, SO AS TO NOT PUT
SO MUCH PRESSURE ON JACKIE.
NARRATOR: RICKEY HAD
HOPED TO SIGN ALL OF THEM,
BUT HIS CAREFULLY LAID PLANS
WERE DERAILED BY OUTSIDE EVENTS.
HE LEARNED THAT MAYOR LA GUARDIA
WAS GOING TO USE
HIS WEEKLY RADIO SHOW
TO STEP UP PRESSURE
ON THE 3 NEW YORK
CLUBS TO INTEGRATE,
UNDERCUTTING THE MOMENT
RICKEY WANTED TO CONTROL.
HE HAD TO GO PUBLIC.
HE IMMEDIATELY ORDERED ROBINSON
TO ATTEND
A PRESS CONFERENCE IN MONTREAL,
HOME OF THE DODGERS' TOP
MINOR LEAGUE TEAM, THE ROYALS.
HECTOR RACINE,
PRESIDENT OF THE ROYALS,
INTRODUCED JACKIE ROBINSON
TO STUNNED MONTREAL REPORTERS.
"WE ARE SIGNING THIS BOY,"
HE TOLD THE WRITERS,
"BECAUSE WE THINK IT
A MATTER OF FAIRNESS."
ROBINSON IMPRESSED
EVERYONE WITH
HIS INTELLIGENCE
AND SELF-ASSURANCE,
AND WHILE HE
ACKNOWLEDGED CONCERN OVER
HOW PLAYERS AND FANS
WOULD RESPOND,
HE INSISTED HE WAS READY
TO TAKE THE CHANCE.
"MAYBE I'M DOING SOMETHING
FOR MY RACE," HE TOLD THEM.
THE SIGNING DOMINATED THE FRONT
PAGES OF BLACK NEWSPAPERS,
INCLUDING THE
"PITTSBURGH COURIER,"
WHICH RAN 10 RELATED STORIES
IN ITS NEXT ISSUE.
HARLEM CONGRESSMAN
ADAM CLAYTON POWELL, JR.
USED THE NEWS TO DEMAND
EQUALITY ACROSS SOCIETY.
BRANCH RICKEY WAS HAILED AS
THE NEXT ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
ONE COLUMNIST FOR THE "COURIER"
ADVISED ROBINSON
TO EMULATE JOE LOUIS,
WHO HAD ALWAYS BEEN
CAREFUL TO APPEAR HUMBLE
AND HAD AVOIDED SPEAKING
PUBLICLY ABOUT MATTERS OF RACE.
IN THE WHITE PRESS,
THE STORY WAS MOSTLY CONFINED
TO THE SPORTS PAGES.
"DAILY NEWS" COLUMNIST
JIMMY POWERS,
DOUBTING THAT ROBINSON HAD
THE SKILLS TO MAKE THE MAJORS,
PRONOUNCED HIM
A 1,000-TO-1 SHOT.
FEW PLAYERS MADE STATEMENTS.
BUT THE BROOKLYN DODGERS'
STAR OUTFIELDER DIXIE WALKER,
WHO CAME FROM LEEDS, ALABAMA,
VOLUNTEERED THAT
HE WASN'T WORRIED--
AS LONG AS JACKIE ROBINSON
WASN'T JOINING HIS TEAM.
RACHEL ROBINSON:
IT WAS MY MOTHER'S IDEA.
WE WOULD HAVE HAD
A SMALL WEDDING
AND BEEN FINISHED WITH IT.
SHE WANTED ME TO HAVE THE GOWN,
THE BIGGEST CHURCH
IN LOS ANGELES,
AND ALL THE FLOWERS
AND EVERYTHING.
I PUT A DRESS AWAY
AT SAKS FIFTH AVENUE
AND PAID ON IT FOR A YEAR BEFORE
I COULD AFFORD TO TAKE IT OUT.
BUT WE DID HAVE
A GRAND WEDDING.
NARRATOR: ON FEBRUARY 10, 1946,
JACKIE AND RACHEL WERE MARRIED
AT THE INDEPENDENT CHURCH
OF CHRIST IN LOS ANGELES.
A FEW WEEKS LATER,
THE NEWLYWEDS PREPARED TO LEAVE
FOR SPRING TRAINING
IN DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA,
WHERE JACKIE WAS TO TRY OUT
FOR THE MONTREAL ROYALS.
BRANCH RICKEY HAD INVITED
RACHEL TO JOIN HIM THERE,
THE ONLY WIFE ALLOWED
AT DODGERS CAMP.
THEY WERE TO FLY
TO DAYTONA BEACH,
WITH STOPOVERS IN NEW ORLEANS
AND PENSACOLA, FLORIDA
ALONG THE WAY.
RACHEL ROBINSON: WE NEVER
REALLY HAD A HONEYMOON.
WE WENT TO OUR FIRST SPRING
TRAINING ON OUR HONEYMOON.
IT WAS TERRIBLE.
WE WERE BUMPED FROM TWO PLANES
TO GETTING THERE.
AND FORTUNATELY MALLIE
HAD MET US AT THE AIRPORT
WITH A SHOE BOX FULL OF
FRIED CHICKEN AND SHE SAID,
"TAKE THIS ON WITH YOU,
YOU MAY NEED IT."
WE WERE EMBARRASSED.
WE WERE BUMPED IN NEW ORLEANS.
WE WERE BUMPED IN
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA.
AND WHITE PASSENGERS
WERE PUT ON IN OUR PLACE.
I'D NEVER SEEN
SIGNS ON RESTROOMS,
ON WATER FAUCETS
AND THAT KIND OF THING.
SO, I WENT INTO THE LADIES,
WHITE LADIES BATHROOM
JUST SO I COULD RECOVER,
RECOVER MY OWN SENSE OF MYSELF.
AND I WALKED INTO THERE
AND DID WHAT I HAD TO DO
AND NODDED AT THE LADIES
AND WALKED OUT.
WE FINALLY TOOK A BUS TO SPRING
TRAINING FROM JACKSONVILLE.
ON OUR HONEYMOON.
WE WENT TO THE BACK OF THE BUS.
AND WHEN IT GOT DARK,
I STARTED TO CRY
BECAUSE I HAD FELT
MY GREAT HUSBAND
WHO HAD BEEN A FIGHTER
AND A DIGNIFIED PERSON
HAD BEEN REDUCED
BY DISCRIMINATION
AND BY SEGREGATION.
AND HE HAD SORT OF
CAVED IN TO WHAT
THE SOCIETY WANTED
IN THE SOUTH.
BUT THE FRIED CHICKEN
WAS GREAT.
NARRATOR: WHEN THEY FINALLY
ARRIVED AT DAYTONA BEACH
RUMPLED, EXHAUSTED,
AND A DAY LATE,
THEY WERE MET BY WENDELL SMITH,
WHO WAS COVERING THE STORY
FOR THE "PITTSBURGH COURIER."
RICKEY HAD ALSO HIRED HIM
TO PROVIDE SUPPORT
TO THE ROBINSONS.
THAT NIGHT, ANGRY
ABOUT THE INDIGNITIES
HE'D SUFFERED ON THE TRIP,
AND SKEPTICAL THAT HE WOULD GET
A FAIR SHOT AT MAKING THE TEAM,
ROBINSON TOLD WENDELL SMITH
THAT HE WANTED TO QUIT.
SMITH STAYED UP LATE CONVINCING
HIM THAT HIS SACRIFICE
WOULD BE WORTH IT IF IT MEANT
CLEARING A PATH FOR BLACKS
INTO MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL.
ROBINSON AGREED TO STAY.
RACHEL ROBINSON: AND WENDELL,
FROM THAT POINT ON,
WAS WITH US ALL OF THE TIME.
HE WOULD PICK UP ON
THINGS THAT WERE HAPPENING
AND INFORM US OF
THINGS IN ADVANCE
SO WE'D BE PREPARED FOR THINGS.
AND THEN WE'D HAVE HIM TO SIT
WITH WHEN THINGS WENT WRONG
AND SAY, "WHAT HAPPENED?"
NARRATOR: ALSO AT SPRING
TRAINING WAS JOHN WRIGHT,
A LANKY PITCHER
FROM NEW ORLEANS
WHO HAD WON 30 GAMES
WITH THE HOMESTEAD GRAYS.
ALTHOUGH WRIGHT WOULD FACE
THE SAME INDIGNITIES,
ROBINSON WOULD GET
ALL THE ATTENTION--
AND FACE ALL THE PRESSURE.
WRIGHT WOULDN'T LAST LONG,
AND SOON RETURNED
TO THE NEGRO LEAGUES.
FOR THE FIRST WEEK OF SPRING
TRAINING, THE MONTREAL TEAM
WOULD PRACTICE IN SANFORD,
40 MILES FROM DAYTONA BEACH.
SUKEFORTH: THE THING
THAT I'LL NEVER FORGET
IS THAT FIRST DAY
OF THAT SANFORD CAMP.
NEWSPAPERMEN, PHOTOGRAPHERS
FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
THERE'S A POSSIBLE RACE RIOT
IN THE MAKING.
THAT'S THE FEELING.
AND THE TENSION--
YOU COULD ALMOST FEEL IT.
IT WAS SOMETHING.
I WALKED OUT WITH ROBINSON AND
HE SAID, "WELL, THIS IS IT."
NARRATOR: THE PRESS BARRAGED
JACKIE WITH QUESTIONS.
"DO YOU THINK YOU CAN GET ALONG
WITH THESE WHITE BOYS?,"
ONE REPORTER ASKED.
JACKIE REMINDED THEM THAT HE'D
SERVED WITH WHITES IN THE ARMY
AND PLAYED ALONGSIDE THEM
IN COLLEGE.
"WHAT'LL YOU DO IF A PITCHER
THROWS AT YOUR HEAD?"
ANOTHER DEMANDED.
"I'LL DUCK," HE RESPONDED.
"ARE YOU AFTER
PEE WEE REESE'S JOB?"
A THIRD ASKED.
"I CAN'T WORRY ABOUT BROOKLYN,"
HE REPLIED.
"I HAVEN'T MADE
THE MONTREAL TEAM YET."
BUT AFTER TWO DAYS IN SANFORD,
WENDELL SMITH GOT
A CALL FROM RICKEY.
A GROUP OF LOCAL MEN
HAD DEMANDED THAT
THE TWO BLACK PLAYERS
LEAVE TOWN IMMEDIATELY.
THERE WERE RUMORS
THAT ANGRY WHITES
WOULD SHOW UP AT THE HOUSE
WHERE THEY WERE STAYING.
THEY RETREATED BACK
TO THE RELATIVE SAFETY
OF DAYTONA BEACH.
RACHEL ROBINSON: INDIVIDUAL
DOUBTS, I KNOW I HAD THEM
AND I'M SURE JACK HAD AT TIMES.
WHETHER WE COULD HOLD TOGETHER,
WHETHER WE COULD FIGHT OFF
THE, THE ATTACKS,
WHETHER WE COULD STILL BE THE
KIND OF PEOPLE WE WANTED TO BE.
BUT WE DIDN'T
TELL EACH OTHER THAT.
NARRATOR: ON MARCH 17,
MONTREAL PLAYED ITS FIRST
OFFICIAL EXHIBITION
GAME AGAINST THE DODGERS,
AT CITY ISLAND PARK
IN DAYTONA BEACH.
MORE THAN 1,000 BLACK FANS
TURNED OUT TO ROOT FOR JACKIE--
AND WERE CONFINED TO
THE SEGREGATED SECTION.
RACHEL ROBINSON: AND THE STANDS
GOT FILLED WITH BLACK PEOPLE
WHO HAD TO SIT ON THE GROUND
SOMETIMES BECAUSE THEY,
THEY NEVER GAVE THEM
ENOUGH SPACE.
BUT THEIR ROOTING AND THEIR
BEING THERE WITH HATS ON
AND ALREADY PROUD,
VERY PROUD OF HIM.
NARRATOR: 12-YEAR-OLD
ED CHARLES
LIVED ACROSS THE STREET FROM
THE ROYALS' PRACTICE FIELD.
CHARLES: EACH TIME HE COME TO
THE PLATE WE JUST APPLAUD
AND GET ALL HAPPY AND STUFF.
WE ALSO PRAYED THAT HE'D GET A
HIT EVERY TIME HE COME TO BAT.
WE WANTED HIM TO BE
PERFECT, YOU KNOW.
RACHEL ROBINSON:
HE KNEW THAT IF HE FAILED
THAT SOMETHING IMPORTANT
IN TERMS OF
THE SOCIAL PROGRESS IN AMERICA
WAS GOING TO GET SET BACK.
AND HE FELT THE WEIGHT OF
BLACK PEOPLE ON HIS SHOULDERS.
NARRATOR: WHEN THE ROYALS
WENT ON THE ROAD,
TEAMS IN JACKSONVILLE,
SAVANNAH, AND RICHMOND
REFUSED TO PLAY
AGAINST ROBINSON.
IN DELAND, FLORIDA,
THE CITY CANCELLED A GAME,
CLAIMING THE LIGHTS
DIDN'T WORK.
IT WAS A DAY GAME.
BACK IN SANFORD, A GAME AGAINST
THE ST. PAUL SAINTS
BEGAN WITHOUT INCIDENT.
BUT IN THE THIRD INNING,
THE LOCAL POLICE CHIEF
STOPPED THE GAME
AND THREATENED TO ARREST
MONTREAL MANAGER CLAY HOPPER
IF HE DIDN'T
REMOVE ROBINSON
FROM THE LINEUP.
ROBINSON WAS BENCHED.
ALL SPRING, JACKIE
STRUGGLED AT THE PLATE.
ONE WHITE REPORTER
OPENLY QUESTIONED WHETHER HE'D
STILL BE AT TRAINING CAMP
IF HE WERE WHITE.
BRANCH RICKEY REMAINED CALM.
"HE'LL HIT,"
HE TOLD ONE REPORTER.
"AND HE'LL BE
QUITE A BALL PLAYER.
I'M SURE OF THAT."
RACHEL ACCOMPANIED HIM
EVERYWHERE.
JACKIE BEGAN THINKING OF THEM
AS A TEAM OF TWO, HE REMEMBERED,
USING "WE" TO DESCRIBE EVEN
THINGS HE HAD DONE ON THE FIELD.
RACHEL ROBINSON: IT WAS
US AGAINST THE WORLD
AND WE ENJOYED THAT AND KIND OF
LAUGHED ABOUT IT AND...
AND STRUTTED AROUND
WITH THAT IN MIND.
AND SO IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR US
TO FEEL THAT, THAT...AH...
THEY COULDN'T SEPARATE US.
THEY COULD DO
A LOT OF THINGS TO US,
BUT THEY COULDN'T SEPARATE US.
NARRATOR: AS ROBINSON
SETTLED IN AT SPRING TRAINING,
HIS HITTING IMPROVED
AND HE SOON WON A SPOT
PLAYING SECOND BASE
FOR THE MONTREAL ROYALS.
THE TEAM TRAVELED NORTH, WHERE
THEY WOULD OPEN THEIR SEASON
AGAINST THE JERSEY CITY GIANTS.
ON APRIL 18, 1946, THE CAPACITY
CROWD AT ROOSEVELT STADIUM
INCLUDED THOUSANDS OF BLACK FANS
EAGER TO SEE JACKIE PLAY.
IN HIS SECOND AT-BAT,
WITH TWO RUNNERS ON BASE,
HE HIT A HOME RUN INTO
THE LEFT FIELD STANDS.
ROBINSON FINISHED THE DAY
4-FOR-5,
WITH TWO STOLEN BASES
AND 4 RUNS SCORED.
MONTREAL WON, 14 TO ONE.
THE "NEW YORK TIMES"
REFERRED TO IT AS
A "BRILLIANT PERSONAL TRIUMPH."
TWO WEEKS LATER, THE ROBINSONS
REACHED MONTREAL.
RACHEL ROBINSON:
MY FIRST EXPERIENCE WAS
TRYING TO FIND A PLACE TO LIVE.
AND IN THE STATES,
THAT'S WHERE DISCRIMINATION
HITS YOU STRAIGHT IN THE FACE.
PEOPLE DON'T WANNA RENT TO YOU.
SO, I KNOCKED ON THE DOOR
AND I EXPECTED TO BE REJECTED.
THE WOMAN CAME TO THE DOOR.
AND SHE SMILED AT ME
AND SHE SAID, "COME IN."
AND SHE SHOWED ME
AROUND THE APARTMENT.
AND THEN SHE MADE TEA
AND HAD ME SIT FOR TEA.
AND THEN SHE SAID,
"I WANT YOU TO BE SURE
"TO USE MY LINENS AND MY CHINA.
AND I WANT YOU TO BE HERE."
AND THAT INTRODUCTION JUST
SET UP MONTREAL FOR US.
IT WAS FABULOUS.
NARRATOR: THAT SPRING,
RACHEL HAD LEARNED
THAT SHE WAS PREGNANT.
SHE KEPT THE NEWS
TO HERSELF FOR A TIME
SO THAT JACKIE COULD
FOCUS ON BASEBALL.
MONTREAL FANS
WELCOMED ROBINSON,
BUT ON THE ROAD, OPPOSING FANS
AND PLAYERS WERE LESS KIND.
PITCHERS AIMED AT HIS HEAD,
BASE RUNNERS TRIED TO
SPIKE HIM WITH THEIR CLEATS,
CROWDS RAINED DOWN ABUSE.
MAN AS JACKIE ROBINSON:
I WAS OVERESTIMATING MY STAMINA
AND UNDERESTIMATING
THE BEATING I WAS TAKING.
I COULDN'T SLEEP
AND OFTEN COULDN'T EAT.
THE DOCTOR WAS AFRAID
I WAS GOING TO HAVE
A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN.
HE ADVISED ME TO TAKE
A BRIEF REST.
DOCTOR'S ORDERS OR NOT,
I JUST COULDN'T
KEEP MY MIND OFF BASEBALL.
NARRATOR: IN BALTIMORE,
RACHEL SAT IN FRONT OF
AN ANGRY WHITE FAN
WHO SCREAMED ABOUT
"THAT NIGGER SON OF A BITCH."
AND I'D SIT UP TALL
AND KINDA, Y'KNOW,
TRY TO WH...FEND IT OFF.
I WAS VERY PROTECTIVE, PROBABLY
MORE THAN I NEEDED TO BE.
NARRATOR: IN SYRACUSE,
AN OPPOSING PLAYER THREW
A BLACK CAT ONTO THE FIELD,
CALLING OUT,
"HEY, JACKIE,
HERE'S YOUR COUSIN."
SHARON ROBINSON: MY FATHER'S
FURIOUS, GETS UP TO BAT;
HITS A DOUBLE.
ON THE NEXT...UM...PERSON UP
AT BAT, MY FATHER COMES HOME.
HE LOOKS OVER AT THAT,
AT HIS OPPONENTS AND SAYS,
"HEY, I GUESS
MY COUSIN'S HAPPY NOW."
NARRATOR: IN SPITE
OF THE PRESSURE,
JACKIE PLAYED BRILLIANTLY,
FINISHING THE SEASON
WITH A LEAGUE-LEADING
.349 BATTING AVERAGE.
MONTREAL WON THE PENNANT
BY 18 1/2 GAMES,
THEIR BEST SEASON EVER.
THE ROYALS TRAVELED TO KENTUCKY
TO FACE THE LOUISVILLE COLONELS
IN THE MINOR LEAGUE'S
WORLD SERIES.
FOR THE FIRST 3 GAMES,
WITH FANS HURLING INSULTS,
ROBINSON STRUGGLED
AT THE PLATE.
THE COLONELS TOOK
TWO OF THE FIRST 3.
BUT BACK IN MONTREAL,
JACKIE STARTED TO HIT AGAIN.
IN GAME 5, HE HAD A DOUBLE
AND A TRIPLE, AND SCORED TWICE.
HE GOT TWO MORE HITS IN GAME 6,
AS THE ROYALS BEAT THE COLONELS
TO WIN WHAT WAS CALLED
THE LITTLE WORLD SERIES.
ECSTATIC MONTREAL FANS WOULDN'T
LET ROBINSON LEAVE THE STADIUM.
RACHEL ROBINSON:
JACK WAS DRESSED AND CAME
OUT OF THE CLUBHOUSE
AND A MOB PICKED HIM UP
ON THEIR SHOULDERS
AND RAN DOWN THE STREET
SINGING AND CELEBRATING HIM.
NARRATOR: "IT WAS PROBABLY
THE ONLY DAY IN HISTORY,"
WROTE SAM MALTIN IN
THE "PITTSBURGH COURIER,"
"THAT A BLACK MAN
RAN FROM A WHITE MOB
WITH LOVE INSTEAD OF
LYNCHING ON ITS MIND."
JACKIE'S FIRST SEASON
IN THE MINORS
HAD BEEN
AN OVERWHELMING SUCCESS.
THE ROBINSONS RETURNED TO LOS
ANGELES, WHERE, IN NOVEMBER,
RACHEL GAVE BIRTH TO A SON,
JACK ROOSEVELT ROBINSON, JR.
THEY HAD SURVIVED
THE ROLLERCOASTER OF 1946,
BUT THEY STILL DIDN'T KNOW
WHETHER JACKIE HAD
A FUTURE WITH THE DODGERS.
ERSKINE: MR. RICKEY SENT
BUZZIE BAVASI TO MONTREAL
TO SEE JACKIE IN HIS
FIRST YEAR IN THE MINORS.
AND BUZZIE HAPPENED TO SIT IN
THE AREA WHERE THE WIVES WERE.
RACHEL WAS IN THE GROUP.
WHEN BUZZIE SAW HER, LISTENED TO
HER, AND REALIZED SHE HERSELF
WAS A COLLEGE GRADUATE
AND VERY INTELLIGENT,
A VERY CLASSY PERSON, HE WENT
BACK AND SAID TO MR. RICKEY,
"IF JACKIE WAS SMART ENOUGH
TO PICK HER FOR HIS WIFE,
HE'S THE GUY YOU WANT."
MAN: ¶ KNOCK ME A KISS,
YOU NEVER MISS ¶
¶ WHEN I'M READY TO GO ¶
¶ BUT IF YOU CAN'T SMILE
AND SAY YES ¶
¶ PLEASE DON'T CRY AND SAY NO ¶
OBAMA: I THINK ANY TIME YOU'RE
INVOLVED IN AN ENDEAVOR
THAT INVOLVES ENORMOUS STRESS,
FINDING YOURSELF QUESTIONED
IN TERMS OF WHETHER
YOU SHOULD BE WHERE YOU ARE.
TO BE ABLE TO GO BACK, UH,
AND HAVE A, HAVE REFUGE, UH,
WITH SOMEONE WHO
YOU KNOW LOVES YOU,
AND YOU KNOW HAS YOUR BACK,
UM...YOU KNOW THAT'S PRICELESS.
WOMAN: JUST BEING ABLE
TO FIND THAT SOLACE
AND THAT PEACE TO WITHSTAND
ALL THE NEGATIVE ENERGY.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD
TO DO THAT ALONE,
SO, THERE'S NOTHING MORE
IMPORTANT THAN FAMILY, THAN,
THAN A REAL PARTNERSHIP,
WHICH IS PROBABLY
WHAT MADE HIM SUCH A GREAT MAN,
BECAUSE HE HAD THE JUDGMENT
TO FIND A PARTNER,
UH, THAT, WELL--
I, I THINK THAT
THAT'S TRUE.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S
A SIGN OF HIS CHARACTER,
THAT HE CHOSE A WOMAN
THAT WAS HIS EQUAL.
I DON'T THINK YOU
WOULD HAVE HAD
JACKIE ROBINSON WITHOUT RACHEL.
NARRATOR: IN AUGUST OF 1946,
BIG LEAGUE BASEBALL'S OWNERS
HAD GATHERED FOR A RARE SUMMER
MEETING TO DISCUSS THE FINDINGS
OF A SPECIAL COMMITTEE
HEADED BY
YANKEES GENERAL MANAGER
LARRY MACPHAIL.
THE REPORT OFFERED A LITANY
OF ARGUMENTS JUSTIFYING
THE CONTINUED EXCLUSION OF
BLACKS FROM THE MAJOR LEAGUES.
LOWENFISH: THE MACPHAIL REPORT
SAID THAT
THE VALUE OF OUR PROPERTIES
COULD DECLINE AND THAT WAS
THE VEILED WAY OF SAYING BLACK
FANS COMING INTO OUR BALLPARK
WILL DRIVE WHITE FANS AWAY.
I MEAN, THE YANKEES INTO THE
1950S SAID BLUNTLY, YOU KNOW,
OUR WESTCHESTER SUBURBAN FANS
DON'T WANT TO BE
IN THE BALLPARK
WITH BLACK FANS.
NARRATOR: WHILE IT WAS CLEAR
THAT THE OWNERS WERE NOT EAGER
TO SEE A BLACK PLAYER
IN THE MAJOR LEAGUES,
RICKEY KNEW THAT THERE REMAINED
NO WRITTEN RULE
THAT COULD KEEP HIM
FROM PROMOTING ROBINSON
FROM THE ROYALS TO THE DODGERS.
BUT FOR HIS EXPERIMENT
TO BE A SUCCESS,
HE WOULD NEED SUPPORT
IN BROOKLYN.
EIG: HE WENT AND MET WITH MANY
BLACK COMMUNITY LEADERS,
PRIESTS, LAWYERS, AND SAID,
"YOU NEED TO TALK TO YOUR FANS.
"YOU NEED TO TALK
TO YOUR PEOPLE.
"YOU NEED TO TELL THEM NOT TO
DRINK TOO MUCH AT THE BALLPARK
"AND NOT TO COME TO
THE BALLPARK DRUNK
"AND NOT TO BRING BOOZE
WITH THEM WHEN THEY COME.
"THEY'RE GOING TO BE
REPRESENTING THEIR PEOPLE,
THEIR RACE.
AND I NEED YOU TO MAKE SURE
THAT THEY BEHAVE."
AND THIS SEEMS PATRONIZING BUT,
YOU SEE SOME OF THIS
EXACT LANGUAGE
BEING REPEATED IN THE BLACK
NEWSPAPERS OF THE TIME
URGING FANS, YOU KNOW,
"WE HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY.
"LET'S NOT DO ANYTHING TO MAKE
IT HARDER FOR JACKIE ROBINSON
THAN IT ALREADY IS."
NARRATOR: ACROSS
THE MAJOR LEAGUES,
SOUTHERNERS AND SOUTHERN CULTURE
DOMINATED CLUBHOUSES.
MORE THAN 1/3 OF
ALL MAJOR LEAGUERS
HAILED FROM THE FORMER
CONFEDERATE STATES.
THE DODGERS WERE NO EXCEPTION.
THE POPULAR VETERAN OUTFIELDER
FRED "DIXIE" WALKER
SPENT HIS OFF-SEASONS
SELLING HARDWARE
OUTSIDE OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.
SOUTH CAROLINA-BORN PITCHER
KIRBY HIGBE
HAD ONCE TOLD A RADIO HOST
THAT HE HAD
STRENGTHENED HIS ARM AS A BOY
BY "THROWING ROCKS AT NEGROES."
SHORTSTOP PEE WEE REESE
WAS FROM LOUISVILLE
AND HAD NEVER
IN HIS LIFE, HE SAID,
SHAKEN THE HAND OF
A BLACK PERSON.
KAHN: PEE WEE'S FATHER
WAS A RAILROAD DETECTIVE
ON THE LOUISVILLE
AND NASHVILLE.
HE TOOK PEE WEE
TO A TREE AND HE SAID,
"WHEN A NIGGER GETS UPPITY,
THAT'S THE BRANCH
WE HANG HIM FROM."
RICKEY FELT THAT WHEN
THE PLAYERS SAW ROBINSON,
THEY WOULD SAY, "WELL, HE'LL
WIN US 5 OR 6 GAMES A YEAR,
"WE'LL PASS THE CARDINALS,
WE'LL GET IN THE WORLD SERIES,
"AND WE'LL GET THAT
PRECIOUS WORLD SERIES SHARE
OF $6,000 OR $8,000."
RICKEY, WHO HAD
A FINE SENSE OF MONEY,
THOUGHT THE PLAYERS WOULD SAY,
"THAT'LL TRUMP EVERYTHING."
AU CONTRAIRE.
DIXIE WALKER, DODGER RIGHT
FIELDER, VERY POPULAR PLAYER,
VERY CHARMING FELLER,
HE PREPARED A PETITION SAYING,
"IF YOU PROMOTE A BLACK MAN,
WE WILL NOT PLAY."
EIG: THERE PROBABLY
WAS A PETITION.
THERE CERTAINLY WAS AT LEAST
A DRIVE, A MOVEMENT.
IT WENT FAR ENOUGH TO GET
BRANCH RICKEY'S ATTENTION
AND HE DECIDED HE WAS
GONNA DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT
AND HE CALLED
LEO DUROCHER AND SAID,
"STOMP THIS FIRE OUT RIGHT NOW
BECAUSE WE CAN'T LET IT SPREAD."
KAHN: AND DUROCHER
HEARING ABOUT IT,
CALLED A MEETING OF
THE PLAYERS AND SAID,
"I'LL TELL YOU WHAT YOU CAN
DO WITH YOUR PETITION.
"IF A GUY CAN WIN GAMES
FOR ME, I DON'T CARE IF HE'S
WHITE OR BLACK OR STRIPED OR
GREEN, HE'S GONNA PLAY FOR ME."
NARRATOR: RICKEY MET
WITH EACH DISSENTER.
KIRBY HIGBE STOOD FIRM,
AND WAS TRADED TO PITTSBURGH.
CARL FURILLO
BACKED DOWN IMMEDIATELY.
DIXIE WALKER LEFT A NOTE FOR
RICKEY ASKING TO BE TRADED.
ERSKINE: LEEDS, ALABAMA
IS WHERE
DIXIE WALKER HAD
HIS HARDWARE STORE.
HE HAD TO GO HOME AND ANSWER TO
HIS CUSTOMERS, TO HIS FRIENDS,
"DO YOU MEAN YOU SHOWER
WITH THIS GUY?
DO YOU EAT WITH THIS GUY?
WE DON'T DO THAT."
NARRATOR: RICKEY EXPLORED
TRADING WALKER, BUT DECIDED THAT
HE COULDN'T AFFORD TO LOSE
HIS STAR OUTFIELDER.
AND HE CONTINUED TO COUNT
ON LEO DUROCHER
TO KEEP THE TEAM IN LINE.
BUT DUROCHER'S ABRASIVE
PERSONALITY, HIS WOMANIZING,
AND HIS LINKS TO GAMBLERS
CAUGHT UP WITH HIM.
NEWSREEL ANNOUNCER: IN BROOKLYN,
A BASEBALL TIME BOMB
BLASTS LEO DUROCHER
RIGHT OUT OF EBBETS FIELD.
THE DODGERS MANAGER IS
SUSPENDED FOR ONE YEAR
BY COMMISSIONER CHANDLER.
DUROCHER, ADMIRED BY MANY,
CRITICIZED BY OTHERS,
IS BANISHED FOR "AN ACCUMULATION
OF UNPLEASANT INCIDENTS
DETRIMENTAL TO BASEBALL."
BUT BASEBALL IS BASEBALL.
RIGHT OR WRONG, NO MAN IS BIGGER
THAN THE GAME ITSELF.
NARRATOR: ON APRIL 10,
IN THE SIXTH INNING OF
A PRE-SEASON GAME BETWEEN
THE ROYALS AND THE DODGERS,
REPORTERS WERE HANDED
A PRESS RELEASE.
"THE BROOKLYN DODGERS TODAY
PURCHASED THE CONTRACT OF
"JACKIE ROOSEVELT ROBINSON
FROM THE MONTREAL ROYALS.
HE WILL REPORT IMMEDIATELY."
THE NEXT MORNING, THE DODGERS
MADE IT OFFICIAL,
SIGNING ROBINSON TO
A ONE-YEAR CONTRACT
FOR $5,000, THE LEAGUE MINIMUM.
JACKIE AND RACHEL MOVED INTO A
SMALL ROOM AT THE MCALPIN HOTEL
ON 32ND STREET IN MANHATTAN
WITH JACKIE, JR.
THEY TOOK TURNS EATING
AT A NEARBY CAFETERIA,
AND WARMED THE BABY'S BOTTLES
WITH A HOT PLATE.
REPORTERS OFTEN KNOCKED ON
THE DOOR FOR AN INTERVIEW,
AND CROWDED INTO THE ROOM,
HUNG WITH DRYING DIAPERS.
MEANWHILE, AS OPENING DAY
APPROACHED,
PLAYERS IN CLUBHOUSES ACROSS THE
NATIONAL LEAGUE WERE DISCUSSING
A STRIKE TO PROTEST
THE ARRIVAL OF
A BLACK MAN IN
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL.
THORN: THE MOMENT THAT JACKIE
ROBINSON SET FOOT ON THE FIELD,
DIXIE WALKER WAS TO HAVE
TELEGRAMMED THE OTHER CLUBHOUSES
AND THEY WERE TO HAVE
ACTED IN ACCORDANCE.
OF ALL THE CLUBS
THAT TOOK THE VOTE
ON WHETHER TO STRIKE OR NOT,
ONLY THE PITTSBURGH
PIRATES VOTED
NOT TO ENGAGE IN THE STRIKE AND
IT WAS BY A VOTE OF 13 TO 12.
HANK WYSE OF THE CUBS
REPORTED THAT
24 OF THE 25 CUBS
AGREED TO STRIKE.
EARLY: THE BIGGEST DILEMMA
FOR AMERICA WAS RACE.
AMERICA NEEDED TO LIVE UP
TO ITS CREED OF DEMOCRACY.
AND HERE IT IS BEING
SYMBOLICALLY PLAYED OUT
ON THIS BASEBALL FIELD.
SO, LOTS OF PEOPLE HAVE A LOT OF
STUFF AT STAKE WITH THIS.
IT'S AN INCREDIBLE MOMENT OF
BOTH HOPE AND TENSION...AH...
IN THE COUNTRY BECAUSE, OF
COURSE, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO,
WHO WANT TO SEE HIM FAIL
AND WANT TO SEE
THIS WHOLE EXPERIMENT FAIL.
NARRATOR: DETERMINED TO SEE
THE EXPERIMENT SUCCEED,
BRANCH RICKEY HAD
ALREADY APPROACHED
RED BARBER FOR SUPPORT.
RICKEY KNEW HIS POPULAR
BROADCASTER WOULD HAVE
RESERVATIONS ABOUT
ROBINSON'S ARRIVAL.
BARBER: I WAS BORN IN
COLUMBUS, MISSISSIPPI.
I GREW UP IN, AH,
SANFORD, FLORIDA,
WENT TO A SEGREGATED UNIVERSITY,
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA.
AH, AH, TH-, THIS WAS SOMETHING
I, I, I HAD NEVER EVEN,
EVEN DREAMED OF AND IT
WAS A SHOCK TO ME.
I THINK IT IS ONLY HONEST
TO, TO, SAY SO.
BUT THEN I BEGAN TO,
TO REALIZE CERTAIN THINGS.
ONE: I HAD NOTHING TO DO
ABOUT BEING BORN WHITE.
I COULD HAVE BEEN BORN BLACK AND
SO, THEREFORE, I SHOULDN'T BE
TOO PROUD ABOUT THE FACT
THAT I HAD A WHITE SKIN.
I HADN'T, AH, SELECTED IT.
AND SUDDENLY I REALIZED, AH,
THAT I WAS A REPORTER.
I WAS NOT MR. RICKEY.
I WAS NOT MANAGER DUROCHER.
I WAS NOT ANY OF
THE BALLPLAYERS.
ALL I WOULD HAVE TO DO
WHEN THE BLACK MAN
CAME TO THE WHITE DODGERS
WAS SIMPLY REPORT
WHAT HE DID ON THE FIELD.
ON THAT FIRST DAY,
I WAS VERY, VERY ANXIOUS.
AND I HAD MY
SMALL CHILD WITH ME.
SO, I USED HIM AS A WAY OF
KIND OF MANAGING THE DAY.
WE WENT OUTSIDE TO GET A CAB.
THE CABS DIDN'T WANNA
GO TO BROOKLYN
AND I DON'T THINK THEY
WANTED TO PICK ME UP EITHER
BECAUSE OF MY COLOR.
BUT, UM, WE GOT
TO THE BALLPARK.
AND I WENT STRAIGHT
TO THE HOT DOG STAND
AND ASKED THEM TO HEAT
JACKIE'S BOTTLE OF MILK
SO THAT I COULD
TAKE CARE OF HIM.
AND THEN
MRS. CAMPANELLA'S MOTHER
PUT HIM UNDER HER FUR COAT
BECAUSE I HAD HIM
DRESSED IN SPRING CLOTHES
AND HE WAS FREEZING.
SO, WE PUT HIM IN, UNDER HER,
AND THEN I COULD SETTLE DOWN
AND WATCH THE GAME.
NARRATOR: APRIL 15, 1947
WAS OPENING DAY.
26,623 PEOPLE,
6,000 LESS THAN CAPACITY,
TURNED OUT TO SEE
THE BROOKLYN DODGERS
FACE THE BOSTON BRAVES
AT EBBETS FIELD.
PLAYING FIRST BASE
FOR THE DODGERS
WAS NUMBER 42, JACKIE ROBINSON.
MAN: I SAT BEHIND
THE VISITOR'S DUGOUT.
AND I WAS SO PROUD
IN WATCHING JACKIE.
AND THERE WERE A LOT OF
BLACK PEOPLE THERE
TO SEE JACKIE THAT DAY.
THEY WATCHED AND THEY ENJOYED
AND THEY WORSHIPED HIM.
THEY WORSHIPED JACKIE ROBINSON,
AS DID I.
MAN: THE PITCHER THAT DAY
WAS JOHNNY SAIN,
A 24-GAME WINNER WHO
HAD A MEAN CURVE BALL.
AND THE TEST OF A MAJOR LEAGUER
IS HITTING THAT CURVE BALL.
WELL, JACKIE DIDN'T GET A HIT,
BUT HE NEVER STRUCK OUT.
I WAS CONVINCED, AND I THINK
A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE
WERE CONVINCED,
THIS GUY CAN PLAY THE GAME.
NARRATOR: BATTING SECOND,
ROBINSON DREW A WALK,
REACHED ON AN ERROR,
AND SCORED A RUN.
AT FIRST BASE, HE HANDLED
EACH CHANCE FLAWLESSLY.
THE DODGERS WON 5-3.
FOR THE BLACK PRESS, JACKIE'S
ARRIVAL WAS A LANDMARK EVENT.
BUT IN OTHER PAPERS,
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE DAY
WENT UNRECOGNIZED.
THORN: SOME PAPERS DID NOT EVEN
MENTION THAT HE WAS A NEGRO.
CERTAINLY HE WAS NOT
THE LEAD STORY.
THE LEAD STORY WAS THE DODGERS
WERE PLAYING THE BRAVES.
AND ONE TEAM WAS GONNA WIN
AND ONE TEAM WAS GONNA LOSE.
IN RETROSPECT, IT SEEMS
A HUGE MILESTONE.
RACHEL ROBINSON: FOR JACK TO
HAVE ARRIVED, BEEN ABLE TO PLAY,
THERE WAS A CERTAIN SENSE
THAT THERE'S
CHANGE POSSIBLE IN AMERICA.
AND WE GOT IT FROM THE PRESS
AND FROM THE FANS
AND FROM EVEN OPPOSING PLAYERS.
SO, IT HAD SOME
REAL SIGNIFICANCE
AND WE'RE STILL CELEBRATING IT
TO THIS VERY DAY.
NARRATOR: THE STRIKE
NEVER MATERIALIZED.
NO MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYER
WOULD EVER REFUSE
TO TAKE THE FIELD AGAINST THE
INTEGRATED BROOKLYN DODGERS.
ROBINSON'S FIRST WEEK
PASSED WITHOUT INCIDENT.
IN A LOSS TO THE GIANTS
AT THE POLO GROUNDS,
JACKIE SCORED TWICE AND HIT
HIS FIRST BIG LEAGUE HOME RUN.
BUT WHEN THE PHILADELPHIA
PHILLIES CAME TO EBBETS FIELD,
THEIR MANAGER, BEN CHAPMAN,
A SHARP-TONGUED ALABAMAN
KNOWN FOR HIS RUTHLESS
BENCH JOCKEYING,
DID HIS BEST TO UPSET ROBINSON.
MAN: AND WHEN JACKIE
CAME TO BAT, HE JUST SAID,
"HEY, BOY, I NEED A SHINE.
"COME SHINE MY SHOES.
"HEY, BOY, HOW COME YOU
AIN'T PICKIN' COTTON?
HEY, BOY, COME OVER AND LET ME
RUB YOUR HEAD FOR GOOD LUCK."
MAN AS JACKIE ROBINSON: FOR ONE
WILD AND RAGE-CRAZED MINUTE,
I THOUGHT, "TO HELL WITH MR.
RICKEY'S 'NOBLE EXPERIMENT.'
IT'S CLEAR IT WON'T SUCCEED."
I THOUGHT WHAT A GLORIOUS,
CLEANSING THING
IT WOULD BE TO LET GO.
TO HELL WITH THE IMAGE OF
THE PATIENT BLACK FREAK.
I COULD THROW DOWN MY BAT,
STRIDE OVER TO THAT
PHILLIES DUGOUT,
GRAB ONE OF THOSE
WHITE SONS OF BITCHES,
AND SMASH HIS TEETH IN
WITH MY DESPISED BLACK FIST.
NARRATOR: HE DIDN'T.
BELAFONTE: HERE WE WERE
WITH THESE QUESTIONS
SEETHING IN AMERICA.
THE COUNTRY WAS AFLAME
WITH THESE ISSUES OF RACE.
AND THIS GUY STEPS INTO THIS
SPACE ASKING US TO SEE HIM
NOT ONLY AS EQUAL,
BUT AS SUPERIOR.
NA, NA, NA, NA, NA.
LET'S NIGGER HIM TO DEATH.
WE, WE'LL CHALLENGE
HIS HUMANITY,
WE'LL CHALLENGE HIS
SENSE OF MANHOOD.
NOTHING SHALL BE...
AH...WITHHELD.
AND FOR HIM TO, TO RESIST THAT
AND TO DO WHAT HE DID
WAS IN ITSELF ITS OWN MIRACLE.
NARRATOR: ROBINSON FACED
EVERYTHING RICKEY SAID HE WOULD.
PITCHERS THREW AT HIS HEAD.
MORE THAN ONCE, RUNNERS
SPRINTING TOWARDS FIRST BASE
SPIKED ROBINSON
WITH THEIR CLEATS.
AND A HARD SLIDE BY ROBINSON
WOULD NOT GO UNNOTICED
BY OPPOSING INFIELDERS.
BEFORE BROOKLYN PLAYED
BEN CHAPMAN'S PHILLIES
IN PHILADELPHIA,
BRANCH RICKEY RECEIVED A CALL
FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE TEAM.
DON'T "BRING THE NIGGER HERE,"
HE SAID.
"WE'RE JUST NOT READY FOR
THAT SORT OF THING YET."
AND RICKEY SAID,
"WELL, HE'S A MEMBER
"IN GOOD STANDING OF
THE NATIONAL LEAGUE
"AND IF YOU DON'T WANNA PLAY US
WE'LL ACCEPT THE FORFEIT
OF, OF THE GAME."
MAN AS JACKIE ROBINSON:
YOU THOUGHT OF PHILADELPHIA
AS THE CITY OF BROTHERLY LOVE,
BUT YET, WHEN YOU
WENT TO PHILADELPHIA,
YOU COULDN'T STAY
IN THE SAME HOTEL,
YOU HAD TO FIND
YOUR OWN ACCOMMODATIONS.
AND THEN THERE WAS BEN CHAPMAN
AND SOME OF THE OTHER PHILLIES,
WHO WERE VICIOUS
AND UNCALLED FOR.
NARRATOR: DURING ONE GAME,
CUBS SHORTSTOP LEN MERULLO
KICKED JACKIE AS THEY
UNTANGLED THEMSELVES
AFTER A CLOSE PLAY AT SECOND.
AS THE BROOKLYN BENCH
SHOUTED AT MERULLO,
JACKIE ANGRILY PICKED HIMSELF UP
BUT DIDN'T STRIKE BACK.
IN THE FACE OF EACH PROVOCATION,
HE CONTROLLED HIS TEMPER.
THE BLACK PAPERS WERE SAYING
THAT, "IF THIS WORKS,
"WE CAN INTEGRATE
THE MILITARY NEXT.
IF THIS WORKS, WE CAN INTEGRATE
MORE COLLEGES NEXT."
ROBINSON WAS A TRIAL BALLOON
AND EVERYBODY WAS WATCHING.
THORN: JACKIE WAS NOT UNCERTAIN
ABOUT HIS SKILLS.
HE WAS NOT UNCERTAIN
ABOUT HIS ABILITY.
HE DIDN'T SUFFER FOOLS GLADLY.
AND HE DID NOT TAKE INDIGNITY
WITH A SMILE.
FOR HIM TO AGREE WITH RICKEY
THAT HE WOULD ENDURE
WHATEVER WAS THROWN AT HIM,
ATE HIM ALIVE.
NARRATOR: AWAY FROM THE FIELD,
JACKIE SPENT
LITTLE TIME WITH HIS TEAMMATES.
ON THE ROAD, HE STILL HAD
TO STAY AT JIM CROW HOTELS
AND TOOK HIS MEALS ALONE.
JIMMY CANNON, WRITING IN THE
"NEW YORK POST," CALLED JACKIE
THE "LONELIEST MAN I HAVE
EVER SEEN IN SPORTS."
RACHEL ROBINSON:
I WENT TO EVERY HOME GAME.
MY PRESENCE AT THE GAME MEANT
NOT JUST SUPPORT BUT IT MEANT
I SAW EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED.
I WAS A WITNESS.
AND SO HE COULD SAY,
"DID YOU SEE THAT?
DID YOU SEE THAT?
AND HOW DID YOU FEEL?"
AND I'D ASK HIM
HOW DID HE FEEL?
YOU KNOW, THAT KIND OF THING.
SO, WHEN WE GOT HOME, WE DIDN'T
TALK ABOUT THE GAME.
HE WANTED HOME TO BE A HAVEN AS
MUCH AS I DID AND A PLACE WHERE
WE COULD ENJOY OURSELVES
AND WE COULD BE IN LOVE,
AND REST FROM THE OUTSIDE,
FROM THE FIGHT.
THE FIGHT WAS OUTSIDE.
IT WASN'T IN OUR HOUSE.
AND HE DIDN'T, NEITHER OF US
WANTED TO BRING IT IN THERE.
NARRATOR: THE PRESSURE,
HATE MAIL, AND THREATS
TOOK THEIR TOLL.
THROUGH APRIL, HE STRUGGLED
TO GET HIS BATTING AVERAGE
ABOVE .225.
THOUGH ROBINSON WAS
PLAYING EVERY DAY,
HE FEARED BEING
BENCHED OR DEMOTED.
THEN, ON MAY 9,
IN A SHOW OF FAITH,
BRANCH RICKEY SOLD BROOKLYN'S
OTHER FIRST BASEMAN
TO THE PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES.
THAT NIGHT, JACKIE SINGLED,
DOUBLED, AND DROVE IN TWO RUNS.
BY THE MIDDLE OF JUNE,
HIS AVERAGE REACHED .300.
RACHEL ROBINSON: ONE WAY OF
FIGHTING BACK IS TO DO WELL.
YOU KNOW, SHUT 'EM UP
BY HITTING,
AND, AND, AND NOT HAVING
TEARS IN YOUR EYES
AND PAIN IN YOUR HEART
BUT, YOU KNOW, PLAYING WELL.
AND THAT WAS HIS ONE WAY OF
FIGHTING BACK WAS TO DO WELL.
AND TO HAVE HIS TEAM WIN.
AND THEY DID WIN.
THEY WON A LOT OF GAMES.
O'NEIL: JACKIE TOOK
BLACK BASEBALL
TO THE MAJOR LEAGUES, SEE?
AT THE TIME, BASEBALL WAS,
AH, A BASE TO BASE THING.
YOU HIT THE BALL,
YOU WAIT ON FIRST BASE
TILL SOMEBODY HIT IT
AGAIN. SEE?
BUT, IN OUR BASEBALL,
YOU GOT ON BASE.
IF YOU WALKED, YOU STOLE SECOND,
YOU'D TRY TO STEAL,
THEY'D BUNT YOU OVER TO THIRD
AND YOU ACTUALLY SCORED RUNS
WITHOUT A HIT.
THIS WAS OUR BASEBALL.
THORN: THE STEAL, THE SACRIFICE,
THE DARING BASE RUNNING,
THE STEAL OF HOME.
THINGS THAT HAD NOT BEEN
SEEN TO ANY GREAT EFFECT
IN MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
FOR TWO DECADES WERE BACK.
AND WHEN YOU COMBINE
SPEED WITH POWER,
YOU HAVE THE BEGINNING
OF THE MODERN GAME.
EVERYBODY ELSE
JUST TOOK THEIR LEAD
OFF THE BASE.
JACKIE MADE IT,
MADE IT THEATER.
YOU COULDN'T TAKE
YOUR EYES OFF HIM
AND NEITHER COULD THE PITCHER.
AND HE HAD WHAT
I CALL QUICK SPEED.
THAT'S WHY HE WAS
A GOOD BASE STEALER.
HE'D TAKE TWO STEPS
AND HE WAS FULL SPEED.
ANDERSON: HE WAS NOT ONLY FAST
BUT HE WAS WISE
AND HE KNEW WHEN TO STEAL,
HE KNEW WHEN TO TAKE
THE EXTRA BASE.
STEALING HOME DEMANDS
PERFECT TIMING.
YOU CAN'T GO A SECOND TOO LATE
OR A SECOND TOO EARLY.
AND HE COULD DO IT.
NARRATOR: "JACKIE'S NIMBLE;
JACKIE'S QUICK;
JACKIE'S MAKING THE TURNSTILES
CLICK," WROTE WENDELL SMITH.
ACROSS THE LEAGUE, FANS BEGAN
TURNING OUT IN RECORD NUMBERS
TO SEE ROBINSON
AND THE DODGERS.
HALF OF THE 27,000 FANS
FILLING CROSLEY FIELD
TO SEE JACKIE'S FIRST GAME
IN CINCINNATI WERE BLACK,
MANY HAVING MADE LONG TRIPS
BY BUS OR TRAIN
TO CHEER ON BROOKLYN'S
FIRST BASEMAN.
NEWCOMBE: ALL THESE PEOPLE
COMIN' FROM MEMPHIS,
BLACK PEOPLE,
COMIN' FROM LITTLE ROCK
ON THE FRIED CHICKEN SPECIALS,
SLEEPING ON, ON BENCHES
OUTSIDE THE TRAIN STATION,
SLEEPING ON THE GROUND.
THEY LOVED THE DODGERS
AND JACKIE ROBINSON.
ERSKINE: THE SCORE
SEEMED ALMOST INCIDENTAL.
WHAT DID JACKIE DO?
IF EVER THE OWNERS THOUGHT
THAT IT WOULD HURT ATTENDANCE
THEY WERE DEAD WRONG.
[CHUCKLES]
NARRATOR: FOR ROBINSON'S
CHICAGO DEBUT,
46,572 FANS HAD JAMMED
WRIGLEY FIELD,
WHILE ANOTHER 20,000
MILLED ABOUT OUTSIDE,
UNABLE TO FIND A TICKET.
IT WAS THE LARGEST PAID CROWD
EVER TO SEE
A CUBS GAME AT WRIGLEY.
AND IN BROOKLYN, ECSTATIC FANS
FROM ACROSS THE BOROUGH
EMBRACED THEIR NEW HERO.
WALDON, JR.: WE HAD ARRIVED.
EVERYBODY FELT BETTER,
BREATHED DEEPER, WALKED TALLER,
STEPPED, AS, AH,
THE EXPRESSION GOES,
WITH A LITTLE MORE
GLIDE IN THEIR STRIDE
AND DIP IN THEIR HIP.
'CAUSE JACKIE ROBINSON
HAD COME TO BASEBALL.
UHLBERG: I WAS THE FIRSTBORN
HEARING CHILD
OF TWO DEAF PARENTS.
AND THE SUBJECT THEY WERE
TALKING ABOUT WAS, "J.
I HAD TO SPELL IT:
JACKIE ROBINSON.
BLACK PLAYER, BASEBALL."
"WHO?! WHO?!
WHAT?! WHAT?!"
BECAUSE THIS PLAYER
WAS DIFFERENT.
HE WAS BLACK AND HE WAS
GONNA BE TREATED DIFFERENTLY,
NOT JUST AS A BASEBALL PLAYER.
FROM THEN ON MY FATHER
WAS HOOKED.
JACKIE ROBINSON
WAS HIS SUBJECT.
ANNOUNCER: ...AND
JACKIE ROBINSON...
UHLBERG: HE WOULD ASK ME
TO EXPLAIN WHAT WAS GOING ON
ON THE RADIO AND I WOULD
SIGN FURIOUSLY.
OF COURSE, I COULDN'T KEEP UP
WITH RED BARBER,
AND CERTAINLY I COULDN'T
DUPLICATE HIS ACCENT!
BARBER: ...THE BALL GAME
IN THIS SERIES, JUST AS TIGHT AS
A BRAND-NEW PAIR OF SHOES
ON A RAINY DAY.
NARRATOR: BY THE END OF JUNE,
STRONG HITTING BY BRUCE EDWARDS,
CARL FURILLO,
AND JACKIE ROBINSON,
AND DOMINANT PITCHING
BY RALPH BRANCA,
PROPELLED BROOKLYN TO FIRST
PLACE IN THE NATIONAL LEAGUE.
EIG: ROBINSON IS MAKING
ALL OF THEM LOOK GOOD.
THEIR BATTING AVERAGES GO UP.
THEY'RE DRIVING IN MORE RUNS.
THEN YOU START TO SEE
A TRANSFORMATION.
EVEN DIXIE WALKER,
WHO WAS THE MOST
VIOLENTLY OPPOSED
TO THIS EXPERIMENT,
EVEN DIXIE WALKER BEGINS
TO GIVE HIM BATTING TIPS.
IT'S NOT BECAUSE HE'S LOST
HIS RACIST INSTINCTS,
IT'S BECAUSE HE WANTS TO WIN.
CHARLES: WE USED TO GET
THE BROOKLYN DODGERS GAME
ON THE RADIO.
AND THEY REFERRED TO 'EM
AS THE BUMS.
AND THAT SORT OF STRUCK A CHORD
WITH ME 'CAUSE HERE, LIKE,
OUR STATUS, BLACKS IN AMERICA,
WAS LOW, TOO.
WE LOOKED UPON JACKIE
AS SOMEONE BRINGIN' HOPE,
THAT THINGS WAS
GONNA GET BETTER.
THIS WAS THE BEGINNING
OF A CHANGE.
MAN: I GREW UP IN THE
GREAT PLAINS, OUT ON THE PRAIRIE
IN A SUCCESSION OF SMALL TOWNS.
AND MY DAD WAS THE LAST
OF 10 CHILDREN.
HE'D HAD A VERY, VERY
DIFFICULT CHILDHOOD.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT
HE WAS EVER RECOGNIZED
FOR ALL THE SKILLS THAT HE HAD.
AND SO, HE IDENTIFIED WITH
PEOPLE WHO SEEMED TO BE
DISCRIMINATED AGAINST OR IN FACT
WERE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST.
IT CERTAINLY WAS
A FAMILY DECISION THAT
ONCE THEY HEARD THAT
THE DODGERS HAD SIGNED A NEGRO,
THE FIRST EVER TO PLAY
IN THE MAJOR LEAGUES,
THERE WAS A FAMILY CONSENSUS
THAT WE WOULD BE
FOR THE DODGERS.
AND FROM THAT MOMENT ON,
WE LIVED AND DIED DODGER BLUE.
AND FOR ME, THERE WAS
NO LARGER FIGURE IN MY LIFE
THAN JACKIE ROBINSON.
MAN 2: WHEN JACKIE CAME IN,
HE COULD DO EVERYTHING:
HE COULD RUN, HE COULD HIT.
HE WAS VERY SPECIAL.
BOY, I SAID TO MYSELF...EH...
I GOT A CHANCE.
IF JACKIE CAN MAKE IT, I HAVE
A CHANCE TO GET TO THE MAJORS.
NARRATOR: ON JULY 5,
THE CLEVELAND INDIANS
OF THE AMERICAN LEAGUE
SIGNED LARRY DOBY,
A 26-YEAR-OLD OUTFIELDER
FOR THE NEWARK EAGLES.
HE HAD BEEN LEADING
THE NEGRO NATIONAL LEAGUE
WITH A .458 BATTING AVERAGE.
THAT SEASON, DOBY
MOSTLY SAT ON THE BENCH,
APPEARING ONLY OCCASIONALLY
AS A PINCH HITTER.
BUT HIS PRESENCE SIGNALED
THAT BLACKS WERE
IN THE MAJOR LEAGUES--
BOTH LEAGUES--TO STAY.
MAN: WELL, A FIRST
IS REALLY NO GOOD
UNLESS THERE'S A SECOND.
TO THE EXTENT THAT
THE FIRST CAN OPEN A DOOR,
AND THEN THAT SECOND
CREATES A TREND.
THOSE DOORS CAN'T BE PERMITTED
TO EVEN APPEAR
TO SHUT OR TO CLOSE.
THE FOOT FIRST, THE ARMS
AND ELBOWS SECOND
AND THE TOTAL BODY
NEXT IN THE DOOR
TO KEEP IT OPEN FOR
OTHERS TO COME THROUGH.
EIG: THE STORY GOES THAT
THE DODGERS WENT TO CINCINNATI,
WHICH WAS ONE OF THE TWO MOST
SOUTHERN CITIES ON THE CIRCUIT.
AND IT WAS ALSO VERY CLOSE TO
THE HOME OF PEE WEE REESE,
WHO GREW UP IN KENTUCKY.
AND THAT ROBINSON WAS TAKING
HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE ABUSE THERE
FROM THE FANS.
PEOPLE CALLING HIM NIGGER,
SHOUTING DEATH THREATS.
AND THAT IN THE MIDDLE
OF THIS SHOWER OF ABUSE,
PEE WEE REESE STEPPED
ACROSS THE FIELD,
DRAMATICALLY PUT HIS ARM
AROUND JACKIE ROBINSON,
AND SENT THIS MESSAGE TO THE
FANS AND TO HIS OWN TEAMMATES
AND TO THE OPPOSING TEAM THAT
ROBINSON WAS ONE OF US.
AND TODAY IT'S REMEMBERED IN
STATUES, IN CHILDREN'S BOOKS.
BUT I DON'T THINK IT HAPPENED.
WE DON'T KNOW
THAT THIS EVER HAPPENED.
WE DON'T KNOW WHEN IT HAPPENED.
IT IS LIKELY THAT IF IT HAPPENED
IT DIDN'T HAPPEN IN 1947,
BECAUSE REESE WOULD HAVE
HAD TO HAVE TRAIPSED
ACROSS THE DIAMOND TO FIRST BASE
TO THROW HIS ARM AROUND JACKIE.
AND EVEN IF THERE WERE
EVIDENCE FOR IT,
HOW MUCH ARE WE TO CONGRATULATE
A PERSON FOR BEHAVING PROPERLY?
NARRATOR: THERE WAS NO MENTION
OF THE GESTURE THAT YEAR
IN EITHER THE WHITE
OR BLACK PRESS.
RACHEL ROBINSON: WHEN THEY
DECIDED TO MAKE A STATUE
OF JACK AND PEE WEE WITH
HIS ARM ON JACK'S SHOULDER,
I ASKED THEM NOT TO DO IT,
AND TOLD THEM I HAD
A BETTER PICTURE
THAT I WOULD LIKE THEM
TO MAKE A STATUE OF,
OF THE TWO OF THEM WHERE
THEY WERE COMING OFF THE FIELD
AND THEIR HANDS TOUCHED.
AND I THOUGHT, THIS IS
THE WAY WE WANNA PRESENT
THAT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THAT
BLACK MAN AND THAT WHITE MAN,
AS PARTNERS.
AND NO ONE WOULD BUY IT.
EIG: WE WANNA FEEL
LIKE WHITE PEOPLE
HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THIS,
THAT WE WERE OPEN-MINDED,
THAT WE SAW WHAT WAS RIGHT AND
WE WANTED TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
AND PEE WEE REESE IS
OUR SYMBOL FOR THAT.
WE ALL WANNA BE THE ONE
WHO'S WISE ENOUGH TO SEE THAT
WE CAN DO BETTER AS A COUNTRY.
SO THE, THE MYTH SERVES
A REALLY NICE PURPOSE.
UM...UNFORTUNATELY,
IT'S A MYTH.
NARRATOR: AS THE 1947 SEASON
STRETCHED INTO MID-AUGUST,
THE DODGERS HELD A SLIM LEAD
OVER THE ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
FOR FIRST PLACE
IN THE NATIONAL LEAGUE.
WITH ST. LOUIS
DUE AT EBBETS FIELD
FOR A CRITICAL 3-GAME SERIES,
A 17-YEAR-OLD DIE-HARD CARDINALS
FAN FROM RICHMOND, VIRGINIA
NAMED DOUG WILDER WAS
INVITED TO DRIVE ALL THE WAY
NORTH TO BROOKLYN TO SEE
HIS FIRST MAJOR LEAGUE GAME.
WILDER: THE BARBER SHOP
WAS MY FORUM
AND THE GUYS WHO RAN THE BARBER
SHOP, THEY LOVED FOR ME
TO COME IN AND BRING
MY ENCYCLOPEDIA.
THEY LIKED FOR ME
TO RUN MY MOUTH
AND TALK AND CHALLENGE OTHERS
AND HE,
THEY WOULD TELL THE OTHERS,
"SHUT UP.
LISTEN TO THE KID."
AND SO, WHEN HEARING
ABOUT JACKIE ROBINSON
FINALLY PLAYING FOR THE DODGERS,
THEY CAME AND KNOCKED ON MY DOOR
AND SAID, "YOU THINK
YOU WANT TO GO
TO THE, AH,
BALL GAME TOMORROW?"
AND I SAID, "WOW."
THEY HAD BOUGHT
A BRAND-NEW BUICK,
AND THEY FITTED ME
IN THE BACK [LAUGHS].
AND, UH, THEY WERE NOT GOING TO
SEE THE CARDINALS LIKE ME,
THEY WERE GOING TO SEE JACKIE.
NARRATOR: THAT SAME SUMMER,
LOUIS UHLBERG HAD COME HOME
WITH A SURPRISE FOR HIS SON.
THOUGH MYRON FOLLOWED
THE DODGERS RELIGIOUSLY,
LIKE MOST BOYS
FROM HIS NEIGHBORHOOD,
HE HAD NEVER
SEEN THEM IN PERSON.
AS A LATE BIRTHDAY PRESENT, HIS
FATHER HAD SECURED TWO TICKETS
FOR A GAME AT EBBETS FIELD
AGAINST THE RIVAL CARDINALS.
UHLBERG: I WAS PRETTY EXCITED
ABOUT GETTING THOSE TICKETS
AND I COULD HARDLY SLEEP THE
WHOLE WEEK PRIOR TO THE GAME.
AS YOU GET OFF THE SUBWAY, YOU
HAVE TO WALK A COUPLE OF BLOCKS
AND YOU TURN A CORNER
AND THERE'S EBBETS FIELD.
AND THEN WE WENT
INTO THE ANTEROOM.
I REMEMBER THESE
WOODEN TURNSTILES
AND THIS HUGE CHANDELIER
WITH BASEBALL BATS
AND BASEBALLS ON IT.
TO ME, IT LOOKED LIKE, AH,
IT LOOKED LIKE A COUNTRYSIDE,
ALL GREEN,
BEAUTIFULLY MANICURED.
THE WHOLE THING WAS
ABSOLUTELY OVERWHELMING.
WILDER: THE PLACE WAS PACKED!
EBBETS FIELD IN BROOKLYN
WAS FILLED UP,
RABID FANS SCREAMING
AND HOLLERING.
"HIT THE BALL, JACKIE BOY,
C'MON, JACKIE, C'MON!"
MY FATHER HAD GOTTEN
SEATS IN A BOX,
BOX SEATS ALONG
THE FIRST BASE LINE
BECAUSE JACKIE ROBINSON
WAS PLAYING FIRST BASE.
WE HAD GREAT SEATS
ON THE FIRST BASE LINE.
AND, UH, I DIDN'T
APPRECIATE HOW GREAT
THE SEATS WERE UNTIL LATER.
UHLBERG: MY FATHER HAD
NO INTEREST IN THE GAME.
WITH LASER INTENSITY HE WAS
FOCUSED ON JACKIE ROBINSON.
WILDER: THEY THREW
THE BALL TO JACKIE.
AND HE STRETCHED HIS FOOT
AND SLAUGHTER CAME
AND SPIKED HIM RIGHT ACROSS
THE ACHILLES TENDON.
THE FANS, THEY LET IT BE KNOWN
THAT JACKIE WAS THEIRS
AND YOU'VE HURT ONE OF OURS.
WE'RE NOT GONNA PUT UP WITH IT.
UHLBERG: AND THE FANS
WERE SCREAMING,
"JACKIE, JACKIE, JACKIE!"
AND MY FATHER WAS SCREAMING,
"AHJAY, AHJAY...AH..."
IN HIS DEAF, GUTTURAL VOICE.
THE FANS STOPPED LOOKING AT
JACKIE ROBINSON IN THE FIELD
AND STARTED LOOKING:
WHO WAS THIS SCREAMING
IN THIS STRAINED VOICE?
AND I WAS JUST TOTALLY,
TOTALLY EMBARRASSED.
AND MY FATHER SAW THAT.
HE SAW THAT AND HE
CALLED ME ON IT.
OFTEN WHEN MY FATHER
CAME HOME, HE WAS ANGRY.
I ALWAYS THOUGHT MAYBE
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT
HAPPENED TO HIM ON THE SUBWAY,
SOME SLIGHT,
SOMEBODY PUSHED HIM,
SOMEBODY MADE A FACE
OR EVEN VERBALLY CURSED HIM.
I CAME TO UNDERSTAND HOW HE SAW
JACKIE ROBINSON AS A BRETHREN,
AS SOMEONE WHO EXPERIENCED
WHAT HE EXPERIENCED IN LIFE;
AS SOMEONE WHO HAS TO LIVE
A LIFE DIFFERENT.
MADE TO FEEL DIFFERENT.
AND THE SAME WITH
JACKIE ROBINSON.
WILDER: THAT FIRST GAME THAT I
SAW, THERE WASN'T ANY QUESTION
IN THIS INSTANCE THAT
SOMETHING HAS CHANGED HERE.
IT WAS MORE THAN JUST
AN ATHLETIC CONTEST.
IT WAS A SPIRIT, A, A, A BIRTH
OF A NEW SPIRIT IN AMERICA.
NARRATOR: BROOKLYN TOOK TWO OUT
OF 4 FROM ST. LOUIS TO MAINTAIN
THEIR LEAD OVER THE CARDINALS.
WITH 5 GAMES TO GO,
THE DODGERS CLINCHED
THE NATIONAL LEAGUE PENNANT.
THOUSANDS TURNED OUT AT
BROOKLYN'S BOROUGH HALL
TO CELEBRATE.
THE NEXT DAY WAS JACKIE ROBINSON
DAY AT EBBETS FIELD.
ROBINSON'S PLAY HAD DRAWN
MORE FANS TO THE SMALL BALLPARK
THAN IN ANY SEASON SINCE
IT HAD OPENED IN 1913.
JACKIE'S MOTHER MALLIE TRAVELED
EAST TO ATTEND THE FESTIVITIES.
BILL "BOJANGLES" ROBINSON,
THE GREAT TAP DANCER,
PRESENTED JACKIE AND RACHEL WITH
GIFTS, INCLUDING CASH, A WATCH,
A TELEVISION SET,
AND A BRAND-NEW CADILLAC.
HE PRAISED JACKIE, SAYING, "I'M
69 YEARS OLD AND I NEVER THOUGHT
"I'D LIVE TO SEE THE DAY
WHEN I'D STAND FACE TO FACE
WITH TY COBB IN TECHNICOLOR."
"TIME" MAGAZINE PUT JACKIE
ON ITS COVER THAT SAME WEEK,
AND WHEN THE SEASON ENDED,
THE "SPORTING NEWS,"
WHICH HAD ONCE ARGUED
AGAINST INTEGRATION
AND PREDICTED JACKIE'S FAILURE,
NAMED HIM THE FIRST EVER
"ROOKIE OF THE YEAR."
JACKIE FINISHED
THE REGULAR SEASON WITH
A .297 BATTING AVERAGE,
LED THE DODGERS IN HOME RUNS,
DOUBLES, RUNS SCORED,
BUNTS FOR BASE HITS,
AND TOTAL BASES,
AND LED THE NATIONAL LEAGUE
IN STEALS WITH 28.
EVEN DIXIE WALKER PRAISED HIM;
ROBINSON HAD DONE AS MUCH
AS ANY OTHER PLAYER
"TO PUT THE DODGERS UP IN
THE RACE," WALKER SAID.
"HE IS EVERYTHING BRANCH RICKEY
SAID HE WAS."
MAN ON RADIO: ...
DIMAGGIO SWINGING,
IT'S A WHISTLING LINE DRIVE....
NARRATOR: BUT IN THE WORLD
SERIES, THE DODGERS LOST
IN 7 GAMES TO
THE NEW YORK YANKEES.
MAN ON RADIO: DIMAGGIO MAKES IT
WITH A SLIDE AND...
NARRATOR: JACKIE ROBINSON WAS
NOW THE MOST FAMOUS AND ADMIRED
BLACK MAN IN THE COUNTRY.
VOTERS IN A RADIO POLL RANKED
HIM SECOND ONLY TO BING CROSBY
AS THE MOST POPULAR AMERICAN.
HE FINISHED AHEAD OF FRANK
SINATRA, ELEANOR ROOSEVELT,
AND GENERAL DWIGHT EISENHOWER.
BUT IN THE YEARS AHEAD, ROBINSON
WOULD RISK HIS PLACE IN BASEBALL
AND HIS IMMENSE POPULARITY
TO SPEAK OUT AGAIN AND AGAIN
AGAINST THE INJUSTICE HE SAW
NEARLY EVERYWHERE.
BELAFONTE: THERE IS ALWAYS
GONNA BE A PRICE TO PAY
FOR ANY, ANY REBEL SOUND
THAT...AH...
CHALLENGES OPPRESSION.
IF YOU SHOWED ANYTHING
THAT SUGGESTED DIGNITY
AND THE SENSE THAT YOU
BELIEVED IN EQUALITY,
YOU WERE IMMEDIATELY
UNDESIRABLE.
BE A GOOD NIGGER.
RACHEL ROBINSON: HE COULDN'T
CONTINUE TO BE SILENT
AND TO BE SUBORDINATE.
HE HAD TO BE HIMSELF
AND HE HAD TO REPRESENT
THE RACE AS WELL AS HIMSELF.
MAN AS JACKIE ROBINSON:
AS LONG AS I APPEARED TO IGNORE
INSULT AND INJURY,
I WAS A MARTYRED HERO.
BUT THE MINUTE
I BEGAN TO ARGUE,
THE MINUTE I BEGAN TO SOUND
OFF--I BECAME A SWELLHEAD,
A WISE GUY, AN "UPPITY" NIGGER.
WHEN A WHITE PLAYER
DID IT, HE HAD SPIRIT;
WHEN A BLACK PLAYER DID IT,
HE WAS "UNGRATEFUL."
I WAS A FINE GUY
UNTIL I BEGAN TO CHANGE.
JACKIE ROBINSON.
ANNOUNCER: NEXT TIME
ON "JACKIE ROBINSON"...
OBAMA: HE HAD PURCHASED
THE RIGHT TO SPEAK HIS MIND
MANY TIMES OVER.
ANNOUNCER:
ROBINSON COMES OUTS SWINGING...
HE WAS NOT
AN ANGRY BLACK MAN.
HE WAS AN ATHLETE
WHO WANTED TO WIN.
ANNOUNCER: AND BUILDS
A LASTING LEGACY
BEYOND BASEBALL.
WE WILL NOT STAND SILENTLY.
HOWARD BRYANT: HE TOOK
ON EVERYTHING THAT
WE WERE AFRAID TO FACE
AND SUCCEEDED.
ANNOUNCER: DON'T MISS
THE CONCLUSION
OF "JACKIE ROBINSON."
¶ I'M A BROOKLYN FAN
FROM THIS SIDE OF THE RIVER ¶
¶ EVERY TIME THE DODGERS PLAY ¶
¶ I HOLLER AND I SHIVER ¶
¶ I'M CRAZY 'BOUT HODGES,
REESE, AND FURILLO ¶
¶ BUT THE BUM I LIKE BEST
IS AN ALL-AROUND GOOD FELLA ¶
¶ DID YOU SEE JACKIE ROBINSON
HIT THAT BALL? ¶
¶ IT WENT ZOOMIN' 'CROSS
THE LEFT FIELD WALL ¶
¶ YES, YES, YEAH, MAN ¶
¶ OH, JACKIE HIT THAT BALL ¶
¶ WHEN HE SWINGS HIS BAT,
THE FANS GO WILD ¶
¶ BECAUSE THE BALL DID GO
A THOUSAND MILES ¶
¶ YEAH, MAN, YES, YES ¶
¶ OH, JACKIE HIT THAT BALL ¶
¶ SATCHEL PAIGE IS MELLOW,
SO IS CAMPANELLA ¶
¶ NEWCOMBE AND DOBY, TOO ¶
¶ BUT IT'S A NATURAL FACT,
WHEN JACKIE COMES TO BAT ¶
¶ THE OTHER TEAM IS THROUGH ¶
¶ DID YOU SEE JACKIE ROBINSON
HIT THAT BALL? ¶
¶ DID HE HIT IT?
YEAH, MAN, AND THAT AIN'T ALL ¶
¶ HE STOLE HOME ¶
¶ YES, YES ¶
¶ OH, JACKIE HIT THAT BALL ¶
¶ NOW, BILLY COX IS MELLOW,
SO IS A THRILLA ¶
¶ BRANCA AND PREACHER ROE ¶
¶ BUT IT'S A NATURAL FACT,
WHEN JACKIE COMES TO BAT ¶
¶ THE OTHER TEAM IS THROUGH ¶
¶ DID YOU SEE JACKIE ROBINSON
HIT THAT BALL? ¶
¶ YES, HE HIT IT, MAN,
AND THAT AIN'T ALL ¶
¶ HE STOLE HOME, YEAH, MAN ¶
¶ OH, JACKIE'S REAL GONE ¶
[APPLAUSE]
ANNOUNCER: LEARN MORE ABOUT
THE LIFE OF JACKIE ROBINSON
AND JOIN THE CONVERSATION
WITH HASH-TAG JACKIEROBINSONPBS.
"KEN BURNS: JACKIE ROBINSON"
IS AVAILABLE
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