People do not recognize the struggles that African Americans had to endure to be treated equally, the way a true American is supposed to be treated. One of the reasons they were not treated equally was that they were not allowed to participate in sports with whites. Since the beginning of our nation, people of color have been grossly disrespected and treated as if they were some kind of animals, who have no say in what happens to them. They were not given any opportunities and were treated harshly because their skin color was different. Whites could pretty much do whatever they wanted, unlike blacks, who were racially discriminated against or beaten for no apparent reason. African Americans were among the worst treated races in the United States; however, this did not stop them from fighting for the rights that so many had died for. It seemed like black people would never be treated with respect, but just like in the comics, there is always a hero who will fight for his people. This hero soon entered the scene and was fierce enough to change many people's lives. Most importantly, he broke the color barrier and created a path that would allow others to follow. However, something that was unavoidable was the threats and racist remarks they faced. The time came, on April 15, 1947, when the man who would change all that stepped up to bat marking the first time an African American played in the major leagues. Jackie Robinson was the man and hero of baseball for blacks. With much hope Jackie Robinson and the African American race marked the beginning of the struggle for the ultimate goal which was equality. Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born on January 31, 1919 in Cairo, Georgia. He was the son of a sharecropper and life wasn't really... a paper medium... you'll spend your whole life in the stands watching what happens, in my opinion you're wasting your life." "I don't think I or anyone else Negro, as an American citizen, we should ask for something that is rightfully his. We ask that we be given only the things that rightfully belong to us and seek nothing else." In 1972 Jackie Robinson died, but his legacy would live on forever. The effects of Robinson can be seen wherever you are encountered as the covers of Sports Illustrated, ESPN and even the Wall Street Journal. Since Jackie Robinson integrated baseball in 1947, black society in America has truly broken countless barriers the entire nation which, thanks to its successes, was now one step closer to equality (Quotes)