The fifties were a very difficult time in America for the black population and that was no different for Jackie Robinson. He was a poor boy growing up, and was never considered equal to society. He always loved baseball though. As a boy, he always played and could never get enough. There was one problem; black people could not play professionally. This was always his dream and he was never ready to give it up. As Jackie grew older, he became great at baseball. He played in the Negro Leagues, which was a good experience, but was still hungry for more. After years of hard work and dedication he was still playing baseball for an all black team for very little pay. This is what he was born to do and he wasn’t going to stop until his dream was fulfilled.
One day, Jackie received a call from a Major League team called the Dodgers. At first, it appeared to be a joke. There were no black players in the league at the time and this seemed too random to be true. Jackie was good, but not the best. He had heard of the Dodgers, but he didn’t know how good they were, and he had never been to Brooklyn. Jackie asked, “Why me?” A man who hadn’t given his name replied, “You are talented, but that is certainly not the reason we chose you. We have had a long list of black players that we have been looking to add to our team, and you appear to be the best fit because we think you can handle what scrutiny you are going to see.” Jackie seemed confused and asked, “What do you want me to do, stay silent?” “Precisely”, the man said. “So what do you say?  Are you ready? Oh, and by the way, my name is Branch Rickey.”
Jackie was ready for Spring Training, but not ready for the discrimination he faced. When he first arrived he was looking for someone to talk to so he could break the ice. He got on the field looking to throw with someone, but it seemed as if everyone was avoiding him. Jackie was upset but not surprised. He knew his teammates would begin to like him if he could produce on the field. After the first few days, Jackie was mostly talking to the coaches and only spoke to other players when he had to. Jackie was playing great during the spring and was still excited to play in the MLB despite his unfair treatment. On the final day of Spring Training, Jackie received shocking news; he didn’t make the team. He was in the Minor Leagues. This was better then the Negro Leagues, but he still hadn’t got to where he wanted to go.
His team got on the bus to go to the first game of the season. The bus driver saw Jackie and refused to let him ride. Jackie proceeded to get on the bus. The man sat in the drivers seat and just sat there. He refused to start the bus and he warned “the black boy” to get off the bus. Jackie, along with the rest of team, walked off the bus. This was the first time he had felt support from his white teammates. The team found a bus driver willing to drive the whole team, but that was only the first hurdle. He arrived to the field safely and was thrilled to be playing first base in his first game. He ran on the field to warm up and 40,000 people, packed a stadium intended to hold 15,000. They yelled and booed Jackie Robinson. Most of these people weren’t at the game to watch Jackie, they were there to intimidate and root against him.
On the first play of the game, routine ground ball to the second basemen turned into a brawl. As the second basemen threw the ball to first, the runner was easily out. Instead of slowing down, he sprinted to Jackie and spiked him in the ankle; his teammates once again defended him. Although it resulted in a fight, this assured Jackie he wasn’t alone.
Jackie was performing at a high level on the field. He led his team in most categories and finally got moved up to the MLB. His long awaited dream had finally come true. His on field performance didn’t slow down. He was still playing great despite the fact that all of the players on the opposing team gave every effort to make him look bad. Jackie turned it around, by his stellar play, he made his opponent look awful. Jackie became a hero of Brooklyn and helped blacks break barriers that had never been broken. Throughout his great and long career, more and more black players were playing baseball at the highest level. Branch Rickey was like a father to Jackie, and gave him a chance while no one else did. This was the dream of Jackie Robinson.