In Honor of Black History Month

[Zomby Woof]

I am changing my avatar this month to one of my 20th century civil rights icons, Jackie Robinson.

From his official website:

http://www.jackierobinson.com /

Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born in Cairo, Georgia in 1919 to a family of sharecroppers. His mother, Mallie Robinson, single-handedly raised Jackie and her four other children. They were the only black family on their block, and the prejudice they encountered only strengthened their bond. From this humble beginning would grow the first baseball player to break Major League Baseball's color barrier that segregated the sport for more than 50 years.

Growing up in a large, single-parent family, Jackie excelled early at all sports and learned to make his own way in life. At UCLA, Jackie became the first athlete to win varsity letters in four sports: baseball, basketball, football and track. In 1941, he was named to the All-American football team. Due to financial difficulties, he was forced to leave college, and eventually decided to enlist in the U.S. Army. After two years in the army, he had progressed to second lieutenant. Jackie's army career was cut short when he was court-martialed in relation to his objections with incidents of racial discrimination. In the end, Jackie left the Army with an honorable discharge.

In 1945, Jackie played one season in the Negro Baseball League, traveling all over the Midwest with the Kansas City Monarchs. But greater challenges and achievements were in store for him. In 1947, Brooklyn Dodgers president Branch Rickey approached Jackie about joining the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Major Leagues had not had an African-American player since 1889, when baseball became segregated. When Jackie first donned a Brooklyn Dodger uniform, he pioneered the integration of professional athletics in America. By breaking the color barrier in baseball, the nation's preeminent sport, he courageously challenged the deeply rooted custom of racial segregation in both the North and the South.

At the end of Robinson's rookie season with the Brooklyn Dodgers, he had become National League Rookie of the Year with 12 homers, a league-leading 29 steals, and a .297 average. In 1949, he was selected as the NL's Most Valuable player of the Year and also won the batting title with a .342 average that same year. As a result of his great success, Jackie was eventually inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962.



------------------------------

So in honor of this special month, I thought I'd change my avatar to honor a great African American in our history, and am inviting you to do the same.

[BlueIris]

1. Great post. nt

[EFerrari]

2. When you look at my Giants avatar, just picture these guys

These were the giants I grew up with. :)

[Zomby Woof]

3. As a Dodgers fan...

Allow me to take this one opportunity to praise Willie Mays, the greatest player to ever wear a Giants uniform. Or at least to me he was. :-)

I bet you thought I was going to say something inflammatory, huh? Not on the Nu-Perfect DU. O8)

Plus the fact that this is a solidarity thread for an important cultural observance. :D

[EFerrari]

4. LOL!

My brother practiced the Marichal kick from the years of 4-12. :)

[KamaAina]

5. Will do, after the Super Bowl

immediately after if the Saints blow it, otherwise the next day or so.