that the woman Jackie was talking to was white…The outraged bus driver ordered Jackie to the back of the bus. Jackie knew his rights on an army base…Jackie would not move. On reaching the last stop, the bus driver quickly brought over several white men and two military policemen…The MP’s took Jackie to a captain, who saw in him only an “uppity nigger” trying to make trouble. He filed a series of charges against Jackie”(Weidhorn 28).Robinson did not take this incident passively. He spread word to other black officers, who in turn contacted black newspapers and civil rights groups, who demanded that the charges be dropped. Instead of fighting the Japanese or German enemy, Robinson had to fight the racism and stupidity of his fellow Americans. Robinson was eventually honorably discharged from the Army for medical reasons. Baseball soon became a big part of Robinson’s life.Jackie Robinson’s entry into the Major Leagues was far from a walk in the park. He climbed over countless obstacles just to play with white men, some of which, he was better then. He not only had to compete with the returning players from the war, but he also contended with racism. “Many towns in the South did not want racially mixed teams”(Weidhorn 53). As time went on, cities realized that Robinson offered them free publicity.“The Dodgers presence also brought extra business to the town. This helped teach some Southern officials and businessmen to over look, at least sometimes, the color of a person’s skin. That lesson gradually spread to the rest of baseball and, years later, became a theme of the civil rights movement”(Weidhorn 53).Some players did not agree with Negroes playing baseball. Most did not support Robinson, but they did not oppose him. Some Southerners were a little uneasy, but quickly came around. Robinson’s charm helped to win some over; his skills w...
