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I Never Had It Made
The autobiography of a boy of summer who became a man for all seasons
Before Barry Bonds, before Reggie Jackson, before Hank Aaron, baseball's stars had one undeniable trait in common: they were all white. In 1947, Jackie Robinson broke that barrier, striking a crucial blow for racial equality and changing the world of sports forever. I Never Had It Made is Robinson's own candid, hard-hitting account of what it took to become the first black man in history to play in the major leagues.
I Never Had It Made recalls Robinson's early years and influences: his time at UCLA, where he became the school's first four-letter athlete; his army stint during World War II, when he challenged Jim Crow laws and narrowly escaped court martial; his years of frustration, on and off the field, with the Negro Leagues; and finally that fateful day when Branch Rickey of the Brooklyn Dodgers proposed what became known as the "Noble Experiment"—Robinson would step up to bat to integrate and revolutionize baseball.
More than a baseball story, I Never Had It Made also reveals the highs and lows of Robinson's life after baseball. He recounts his political aspirations and civil rights activism; his friendships with Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, William Buckley, Jr., and Nelson Rockefeller; and his troubled relationship with his son, Jackie, Jr.
Originally published the year Robinson died, I Never Had It Made endures as an inspiring story of a man whose heroism extended well beyond the playing field.
Before Barry Bonds, before Reggie Jackson, before Hank Aaron, baseball's stars had one undeniable trait in common: they were all white. In 1947, Jackie Robinson broke that barrier, striking a crucial blow for racial equality and changing the world of sports forever. I Never Had It Made is Robinson's own candid, hard-hitting account of what it took to become the first black man in history to play in the major leagues.
I Never Had It Made recalls Robinson's early years and influences: his time at UCLA, where he became the school's first four-letter athlete; his army stint during World War II, when he challenged Jim Crow laws and narrowly escaped court martial; his years of frustration, on and off the field, with the Negro Leagues; and finally that fateful day when Branch Rickey of the Brooklyn Dodgers proposed what became known as the "Noble Experiment"—Robinson would step up to bat to integrate and revolutionize baseball.
More than a baseball story, I Never Had It Made also reveals the highs and lows of Robinson's life after baseball. He recounts his political aspirations and civil rights activism; his friendships with Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, William Buckley, Jr., and Nelson Rockefeller; and his troubled relationship with his son, Jackie, Jr.
Originally published the year Robinson died, I Never Had It Made endures as an inspiring story of a man whose heroism extended well beyond the playing field.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1972
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January 15, 2017
On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson played in his first game for the Brooklyn Dodgers, integrating Major League Baseball and alternating the course of 20th century American history. Seventy years later, Robinson remains a key figure in American history as his actions made him a role model for generations of African Americans. As we are approaching Martin Luther King Day, I decided to read Robinson's autobiography I Never Had it Made, his poignant and candid account of his life in and out of baseball.
Born in 1919, Jackie Robinson was the youngest child of a southern sharecropping family. When Jackie was only six months old, his father deserted the family in search of a better life and never returned. His mother Madella decided to move with her five children to Los Angeles in order to give them a better opportunity in life. Working two jobs and barely making ends meet, Madella was determined that her children rise from poverty and achieve in America. Jackie, easily inspired by his mother's work ethic, enrolled at Pasadena Junior College and then at UCLA. During the years leading up to World War II, African Americans had few opportunities to participate in integrated sporting events. Jackie made the best of his experience, which lead to him being noticed by both the Negro Kansas City Monarchs and the Dodgers after the war.
While at Pasadena, Jackie met Rachel Isum who was to become his partner in life. Rachel stayed by Jackie's side through thick and thin and later became a psychiatric nurse and an assistant professor at Yale Nursing School. During Jackie's baseball career, Rachel raised their children largely on her own as Jackie traveled with the team, incurring as much discrimination outside of baseball that Jackie faced on the field.
As a lifelong baseball fan, I am much familiar with the story of Robinson, Branch Rickey, and the integration of baseball. Reading the account in Robinson's own words was especially poignant and powerful. Knowing the story as well as I do, I was much more interested in Robinson's life after baseball. Fighting diabetes, Robinson still managed to fight for African American rights on a local and national level. He campaigned for various politicians and called them out when they did not do enough for his community to strengthen their life in this country. In addition to his political involvement, Robinson worked on the board of Harlem businesses such as Chock full of nuts coffee and Freedom Bank in an attempt to encourage African Americans to invest in their community, giving them more of a chance to succeed.
Jackie Robinson's success story put him on a first name basis with everyone from Martin Luther King and Malcom X to Presidents Kennedy and Nixon. Yet on occasion this success came at the expense of his family who at times struggled to find their own identity as Jackie Robinson's wife and children. For all of the abuse Robinson faced on and off of the field, he remains a national legend and role model even today. Yet, his words also remain true today- until all African Americans enjoy the same success as Jackie Robinson, he can say that he was a black man in a white man's world, and that he never had it made. A moving account of an extraordinary life, I Never Had it Made easily rates 5 shining stars.
Born in 1919, Jackie Robinson was the youngest child of a southern sharecropping family. When Jackie was only six months old, his father deserted the family in search of a better life and never returned. His mother Madella decided to move with her five children to Los Angeles in order to give them a better opportunity in life. Working two jobs and barely making ends meet, Madella was determined that her children rise from poverty and achieve in America. Jackie, easily inspired by his mother's work ethic, enrolled at Pasadena Junior College and then at UCLA. During the years leading up to World War II, African Americans had few opportunities to participate in integrated sporting events. Jackie made the best of his experience, which lead to him being noticed by both the Negro Kansas City Monarchs and the Dodgers after the war.
While at Pasadena, Jackie met Rachel Isum who was to become his partner in life. Rachel stayed by Jackie's side through thick and thin and later became a psychiatric nurse and an assistant professor at Yale Nursing School. During Jackie's baseball career, Rachel raised their children largely on her own as Jackie traveled with the team, incurring as much discrimination outside of baseball that Jackie faced on the field.
As a lifelong baseball fan, I am much familiar with the story of Robinson, Branch Rickey, and the integration of baseball. Reading the account in Robinson's own words was especially poignant and powerful. Knowing the story as well as I do, I was much more interested in Robinson's life after baseball. Fighting diabetes, Robinson still managed to fight for African American rights on a local and national level. He campaigned for various politicians and called them out when they did not do enough for his community to strengthen their life in this country. In addition to his political involvement, Robinson worked on the board of Harlem businesses such as Chock full of nuts coffee and Freedom Bank in an attempt to encourage African Americans to invest in their community, giving them more of a chance to succeed.
Jackie Robinson's success story put him on a first name basis with everyone from Martin Luther King and Malcom X to Presidents Kennedy and Nixon. Yet on occasion this success came at the expense of his family who at times struggled to find their own identity as Jackie Robinson's wife and children. For all of the abuse Robinson faced on and off of the field, he remains a national legend and role model even today. Yet, his words also remain true today- until all African Americans enjoy the same success as Jackie Robinson, he can say that he was a black man in a white man's world, and that he never had it made. A moving account of an extraordinary life, I Never Had it Made easily rates 5 shining stars.
February 1, 2016
Jackie Robinson definitely "had the guts."
After finishing I Never Had It Made today, I called my brother and asked to speak to my dad, and after a good laugh, he said, call 1-800-H.E.A.V.E.N. (oh how I wish I could) I know as sure as I'm sitting here that my dad was listening to the historic game on his transistor radio back on April 15, 1947 when Jackie Robinson made his major league debut as a Brooklyn Dodger. Why had I never asked him about it?
This amazing story of courage about a determined African-American baseball player in the face of racism, and his heroic Manager, Branch Rickey who changed baseball forever, is a powerful and enlightening read, and it encompasses so much more than the game. I did not know JR was in the military stationed in Honolulu leaving just two days prior to the Pearl Harbor bombing. I did not know he told Senator JFK he should look people in the eye when speaking. I did not know he had three children and lost one in a tragic accident, and I did not know about the old baseball term "choking up".......no no, not on the bat, but like kicking the dirt or throwing hands up in the air in frustration, apparently (back in the day) players would grab their throats in a choking motion whenever an umpire made a bad call favoring the home team. (of course, that would never happen now.......)
I love baseball, and now know when all Major League Baseball players wear the #42 on the backs of their jersey each April to honor Jackie Robinson, I will appreciate and remember all the obstacles and injustices this brave man endured even more.
Highly recommend! (and thanks dad for taking me to the games)
Jackie Roosevelt Robinson January 31, 1919 *** October 24, 1972
"I'm not concerned with you liking or disliking me....all I ask is that you respect me as a human being."
"I never had it made. I was a black man in a white world of baseball."
Update: September 15, 2015
42 is a great baseball movie that truly brings the 1940's back to life, and putting aside the beautiful homes with large wrap-around porches, vintage automobiles and the wonderful clothing of the time.....with the exception of the horribly ugly fat ties, the best part for me was experiencing the sights and sounds of fans in the old stadiums, players in wool uniforms, watching Harrison Ford do a bang-up job as Branch Rickey, and seeing a part of Jackie Robinson's life portrayed on screen.
Thank you GR's friend Julie for reviewing this book and bringing it to my attention!
August 28, 2015
I Never Had it Made was so much more than a book about a famous baseball player. I was expecting this autobiography by Jackie Robinson to be mostly about his baseball career, but instead it captured his whole life, from his early childhood years, to well beyond his baseball career into his involvement in politics and the civil rights movement, including the people who were influential in his life. His story was heartfelt and honest and something about it being written in his own words made it so much more meaningful. He also wrote about the difficult challenges he and his wife had raising their children, particularly their oldest son Jackie Jr., who was a hero in his own right. The title is certainly fitting and I have a much greater appreciation for this truly courageous American hero after reading this book.
One of my favorite quotes:
"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives."
One of my favorite quotes:
"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives."
September 24, 2020
Very exceptional book. Honest, pithy and frank in matters of race and mistreatment. Inspiring in the baseball detail.
Jackie Robinson is a true American hero who endured more pain from prejudice and mistreatment than most.
Mush is relevant to today's racial struggles because ignorance and hate never seem to end. Thanks Jackie for making the world a better place.
Jackie Robinson is a true American hero who endured more pain from prejudice and mistreatment than most.
Mush is relevant to today's racial struggles because ignorance and hate never seem to end. Thanks Jackie for making the world a better place.
August 6, 2016
An autobiography that is inspiring its its entirety—certainly enough to overcome the disheartening element—via exposing to the envenomed root the way in which racism reduces a unique individual to a collective trope of projected fears and ignorance whilst simultaneously depicting the ability for a courageous and committed person—provided with the requisite buttresses of equally determined spouse, kith and kin—to effect change at an exponential level upon the viscosity and rigidity of such staunch superficial prejudices. Where better to begin hammering away at Jim Crow than via the bat and glove wielded within America's pastime? Robinson emerges as a bona fide hero, an immensely gifted baseball player whose skills yet take second place to his qualities as a human being, and that he served in a much broader capacity than as an athlete: campaigning for politicians, promoting the NAACP, working for Civil Rights causes, supporting the Jewish Anti-Defamation League, and generally advancing the issues of human equality, whether pertaining to race or other areas of disparity.
Born into a Californian family of faith and pride, the young Robinson—early an athletic star—would brook no indignities based upon being black, a character trait that made his requisite perduring silence that much more of a burden when his baseball skills brought him into the majors. Eventually, the uplift provided by his story—loving marriage to the equally impressive Rachel; the determination and unwavering moral firmness (part business cunning, part Christian decency) of Branch Rickey; the pivotal support of teammates like Pee Wee Reese and Eddie Stanky, along with the legion of black fans whose stadium thronging to catch a glimpse of Robinson revealed a lucrative element of the sports market waiting to be tapped if only parity on the diamond be admitted; the crack in the barriers between white and coloured athletes that, thanks to Robinson's sterling qualities on and off the field, rapidly saw them flattened beneath a flood—serves to overcome the despair and fury invoked by the continuous and draining display of human hatred, baseness, and ugliness operating both at a fever pitch and quotidian assumption.
He's not a perfect figure, of course, particularly in the surprisingly considerable post-baseball chapters, when he's operating in different fields and wherein he takes shots and settles some scores simultaneous with defending certain actions he undertook that were criticized at the time—notably in the arenas of politics [wasn't a fan of JFK, was one of Nixon, a predilection for Republicans that baffled the populace] and a Civil Rights movement with whom he disagreed about means and what he saw as an old guard calcification. His opinions grew stronger as he aged and personal setbacks unfolded, while a sense of disillusionment mounted—for with all that he accomplished in an active life, he still could never shake the sense that he was a black man living in a white man's world, forced to adapt himself to its demands for simple survival to a degree that his words become more timbered with bitterness.
I have to say that I felt a tremendous amount of pleasure—a real Sunny D glow extending unto the cockles of my noarthern pillock heart—upon discovering how fondly Jackie described and reminisced about his days in Montreal ere the Big Show, about how its people—fans, neighbours, strangers on the street—were the first whom he and his wife felt did not judge them by the colour of their skin; indeed, that their delirious affection for him after his clutch play helped seal the 1946 Little World Series for the hometown Royals led to an inflamed pursuit that stirred an observing American reporter to muse:
Alfred Duckett does a fine job of allowing Robinson's words to sound self-wrought upon the page, of the man himself: concise, clear, and to the point. And while Robinson does not allow us deep glances into his psyche, his words do capture the emotional toll imposed upon him (and his wife) by exposure to the relentless waves of negativity and abuse, as well as that of personal tragedies like the early death of his troubled son, Jackie Junior. In absorbing so much of America's racial animus while paving the way for his peers and successors Robinson was prematurely aged, and his death came about rapidly when he was only 53. One need not be a baseball fan to appreciate this book—for it goes without saying that Robinson, beyond his prowess as a ballplayer, was an incredible human being: classy, courageous, proud, determined, and just generally of that singularly inspiring individual type whose tale must lead even the confirmed misanthrope to note we're capable of rising to some mightily daunting challenges when push comes to shove.
Born into a Californian family of faith and pride, the young Robinson—early an athletic star—would brook no indignities based upon being black, a character trait that made his requisite perduring silence that much more of a burden when his baseball skills brought him into the majors. Eventually, the uplift provided by his story—loving marriage to the equally impressive Rachel; the determination and unwavering moral firmness (part business cunning, part Christian decency) of Branch Rickey; the pivotal support of teammates like Pee Wee Reese and Eddie Stanky, along with the legion of black fans whose stadium thronging to catch a glimpse of Robinson revealed a lucrative element of the sports market waiting to be tapped if only parity on the diamond be admitted; the crack in the barriers between white and coloured athletes that, thanks to Robinson's sterling qualities on and off the field, rapidly saw them flattened beneath a flood—serves to overcome the despair and fury invoked by the continuous and draining display of human hatred, baseness, and ugliness operating both at a fever pitch and quotidian assumption.
He's not a perfect figure, of course, particularly in the surprisingly considerable post-baseball chapters, when he's operating in different fields and wherein he takes shots and settles some scores simultaneous with defending certain actions he undertook that were criticized at the time—notably in the arenas of politics [wasn't a fan of JFK, was one of Nixon, a predilection for Republicans that baffled the populace] and a Civil Rights movement with whom he disagreed about means and what he saw as an old guard calcification. His opinions grew stronger as he aged and personal setbacks unfolded, while a sense of disillusionment mounted—for with all that he accomplished in an active life, he still could never shake the sense that he was a black man living in a white man's world, forced to adapt himself to its demands for simple survival to a degree that his words become more timbered with bitterness.
I have to say that I felt a tremendous amount of pleasure—a real Sunny D glow extending unto the cockles of my noarthern pillock heart—upon discovering how fondly Jackie described and reminisced about his days in Montreal ere the Big Show, about how its people—fans, neighbours, strangers on the street—were the first whom he and his wife felt did not judge them by the colour of their skin; indeed, that their delirious affection for him after his clutch play helped seal the 1946 Little World Series for the hometown Royals led to an inflamed pursuit that stirred an observing American reporter to muse:
It was probably the only day in history that a black man ran from a white mob with love instead of lynching on its mind.The restraint and class he exhibited were superhuman, but, thanks to his supportive relationship with Rickey, Robinson was always aware that it was pivotal he do so in the face of endless abuse for the pioneer role he had undertaken. It was the correct strategy to pursue, to the degree that Robinson's manager in Montreal, Clay Hopper—a Mississippi native with all of the inborn prejudices of the Deep South who had pointedly asked of Rickey while they were observing Robinson in tryouts Do you really think that a nigger is a human being?—shook hands with Robinson when he left the team and told him that he was a great ballplayer and fine gentleman. That's what constituted progress in the mid-forties. My sister-in-law is black, and the reality that, were she and my brother born but a generation prior, their marriage would have been not only difficult and dangerous, but illegal in certain states, leaves me incredulous and appalled. America (and that includes Canada, which is hardly exempt from prejudice and racism) has obviously come a long way since then, and Jackie Robinson's name can stand at a place of high honour among those who were instrumental in bringing about this vital state of affairs.
Alfred Duckett does a fine job of allowing Robinson's words to sound self-wrought upon the page, of the man himself: concise, clear, and to the point. And while Robinson does not allow us deep glances into his psyche, his words do capture the emotional toll imposed upon him (and his wife) by exposure to the relentless waves of negativity and abuse, as well as that of personal tragedies like the early death of his troubled son, Jackie Junior. In absorbing so much of America's racial animus while paving the way for his peers and successors Robinson was prematurely aged, and his death came about rapidly when he was only 53. One need not be a baseball fan to appreciate this book—for it goes without saying that Robinson, beyond his prowess as a ballplayer, was an incredible human being: classy, courageous, proud, determined, and just generally of that singularly inspiring individual type whose tale must lead even the confirmed misanthrope to note we're capable of rising to some mightily daunting challenges when push comes to shove.
February 17, 2021
I initially picked up this book wanting to read about Jackie Robinson’s baseball career, and while that was definitely my favorite part of it, the rest of his life was so interesting. Jackie really was a legend, and not only because he broke baseball’s color barrier. He did it with an attitude that nobody else on the planet could’ve done it with, to have the courage and strength to not fight back and let his play do the talking. And did it ever, winning an MVP and having a .311 career batting average. His talk of his life with his wife and children, and the hardships he had to face there were enlightening as well, but as a massive baseball fan who’s always held Jackie Robinson in the highest regard, reading about his baseball career from the man himself was awe-inspiring.
July 8, 2020
I thought I knew Jackie Robinson’s story. Brave, courageous, professional, talented baseball-playing Jackie. But there was so much I didn’t know until reading this autobiography. Much of Jackie’s life went far beyond baseball. He spent his years giving and giving, time and energy and his celebrity status, particularly to causes and organizations that would help make America better for all Blacks. I never knew he was involved in so many businesses, politics, and spoke passionately on a wide range of issues. He was bold and assertive in his speech, but so genuinely wanted to understand people who disagreed with him. He did a fantastic job of seeing beyond what a person said to who they actually were. His life was so hard, not just young life or baseball life, but so many things that happened because he was always in the middle of where he could make a difference. So highly recommended.
September 24, 2020
This was really 4.5*. It was a fantastic read I'd recommend to anyone. I had no idea Jackie Robinson was so politically involved after his baseball retirement. I loved learning about his life after baseball. I'd seen 42, which is a great movie, but the book is way better. He does a great job at representing both sides of an argument, admitting when he made mistakes, was wrong, and backing up his arguments. Robinson comes across as a very fair-minded person who will fight tooth and nail for his position. I marked up several pages for discussion, since this was my pick for the latest book club. There is a lot of really interesting material to discuss!
September 24, 2020
This is an inspiring book.
Robinson is clear and articulate in telling of his struggle to fight against injustice and his struggle to control himself so as to be able to make history by making the world a better place.
In short, Jackie Robinson inspires me with his book that shows his hard work, passion, and thoughtful pursuit of life.
Robinson is clear and articulate in telling of his struggle to fight against injustice and his struggle to control himself so as to be able to make history by making the world a better place.
In short, Jackie Robinson inspires me with his book that shows his hard work, passion, and thoughtful pursuit of life.
June 17, 2024
On Jackie and his life: 5/5
On Jackie and this book maybe 2.5. This was a grind about an iconic figure in American history. But wow did it get slow and in the weeds and drone on about rather mundane details in an otherwise remarkable existence.
Alas, it was nice to hear Mr. Robinson’s perspectives and why he, as the title suggests, never hade it made.
On Jackie and this book maybe 2.5. This was a grind about an iconic figure in American history. But wow did it get slow and in the weeds and drone on about rather mundane details in an otherwise remarkable existence.
Alas, it was nice to hear Mr. Robinson’s perspectives and why he, as the title suggests, never hade it made.
December 29, 2019
Jackie Robinson needed no embellishments to recount such a fantastic story. His honesty and earnestness were apparent throughout the entire book, and it genuinely made me cry. Great read.
February 22, 2015
I grew up with three brothers, therefore I first knew Jackie Robinson as a legendary baseball player. I became more aware of the world and more political, and then I found out that he had been the first Black baseball player allowed to play in the Major Leagues.
This trajectory of knowing, my initial disbelief that there was ever a time when Black people could not play baseball with white is due to the world that Jackie Robinson helped to create, and I give thanks looking back that this is the world I grew up in. Not one conditioned to separate but equal. Not one so blatantly accepting of racism. Not the one that Jackie Robinson faced down and helped to crack open with so many other of immense courage, will and strength.
Don't get me wrong, racism is still central to the way America works. Baseball is still rife with it, as are all the other major-league billion-dollar franchises. The NBA booted Donald Sterling out, but we still have a long way to go.
Still, we should find some hope in that we've come a long way. Reading this you see it, even through the heartbreak of Ferguson and the horror of racist white reaction and the ongoing accumulation of slow and spectacular violence.
It's funny how much it reads as just the story of an ordinary man, extraordinarily gifted at baseball. Strong enough to be what he needed to be to help break down the segregation and to survive everything that was thrown at him. The first half of the book is eloquent on this struggle, the way it beat down the body, the heart and the spirit. I wonder, still, how he managed to do it. More than ever, you realise how much we need love from family and friends to survive this world and the damage that it inflicts.
The story of how the Dodgers' president Ricky Branch gained the commitment to civil rights that led him to bring Robinson on the team in the first place is somehow the most powerful single story. He was a coach with Ohio Wesleyan, and this college team had one black player. When he was not allowed in a hotel in Indiana, Branch argued and fought, threatened to change to a new hotel, and eventually Charley Thomas was allowed to stay in his room, sleeping on a cot. Robinson writes:
A society that does this to a talented kid, well, you just want to crush it up into a ball like paper and throw it away and start all over again. If only it were that easy. I think of Fanon especially, of Malcolm X, of Black Power and how important they were, they are, in reclaiming pride and space from a toxic white world and healing this. At minimum we should all be allowed comfort in our own skin.
Being an ordinary guy, this is also a curious story of someone moving through the worlds of business and politics with the immense power of celebrity, determined to do his best for Black people, but uncertain of how to do it. Admitting mistakes. Like allowing his presence to be used against Paul Robeson at HUAC without being aware of the full situation or the stakes, like supporting Nixon and the moderate current of the Republican party, repudiating it only with the advent of Barry Goldwater. Like supporting the war in Vietnam, until he found out more about the conditions faced by troops through the heroin addiction (and the VA's abandonment of) his son, and facing the irony of fighting for a 'freedom' abroad that his family did not have in the U.S.
Despite this edging towards conservatism (dude worked with Rockefeller), he writes this in the preface:
And he ends with this:
That would not be a bad world, though maybe now we can demand a little more.
This trajectory of knowing, my initial disbelief that there was ever a time when Black people could not play baseball with white is due to the world that Jackie Robinson helped to create, and I give thanks looking back that this is the world I grew up in. Not one conditioned to separate but equal. Not one so blatantly accepting of racism. Not the one that Jackie Robinson faced down and helped to crack open with so many other of immense courage, will and strength.
Don't get me wrong, racism is still central to the way America works. Baseball is still rife with it, as are all the other major-league billion-dollar franchises. The NBA booted Donald Sterling out, but we still have a long way to go.
Still, we should find some hope in that we've come a long way. Reading this you see it, even through the heartbreak of Ferguson and the horror of racist white reaction and the ongoing accumulation of slow and spectacular violence.
It's funny how much it reads as just the story of an ordinary man, extraordinarily gifted at baseball. Strong enough to be what he needed to be to help break down the segregation and to survive everything that was thrown at him. The first half of the book is eloquent on this struggle, the way it beat down the body, the heart and the spirit. I wonder, still, how he managed to do it. More than ever, you realise how much we need love from family and friends to survive this world and the damage that it inflicts.
The story of how the Dodgers' president Ricky Branch gained the commitment to civil rights that led him to bring Robinson on the team in the first place is somehow the most powerful single story. He was a coach with Ohio Wesleyan, and this college team had one black player. When he was not allowed in a hotel in Indiana, Branch argued and fought, threatened to change to a new hotel, and eventually Charley Thomas was allowed to stay in his room, sleeping on a cot. Robinson writes:
"He sat on that cot," Mr. Ricky said, "and was silent for a long time. Then he began to cry, tears he couldn't hold back. His whole body shook with emotion. I sat and watched him, not knowing what to do until he began tearing at one hand with the other--just as if he were trying to scratch the skin off his hands with his fingernails. I was alarmed. I asked him what he was trying to do to himself.
"It's my hands," he sobbed, "They're black. If only they were white. I'd be as good as anybody then, wouldn't I, Mr Rickey? If only they were white." (27)
A society that does this to a talented kid, well, you just want to crush it up into a ball like paper and throw it away and start all over again. If only it were that easy. I think of Fanon especially, of Malcolm X, of Black Power and how important they were, they are, in reclaiming pride and space from a toxic white world and healing this. At minimum we should all be allowed comfort in our own skin.
Being an ordinary guy, this is also a curious story of someone moving through the worlds of business and politics with the immense power of celebrity, determined to do his best for Black people, but uncertain of how to do it. Admitting mistakes. Like allowing his presence to be used against Paul Robeson at HUAC without being aware of the full situation or the stakes, like supporting Nixon and the moderate current of the Republican party, repudiating it only with the advent of Barry Goldwater. Like supporting the war in Vietnam, until he found out more about the conditions faced by troops through the heroin addiction (and the VA's abandonment of) his son, and facing the irony of fighting for a 'freedom' abroad that his family did not have in the U.S.
Despite this edging towards conservatism (dude worked with Rockefeller), he writes this in the preface:
As I write this twenty years later, I cannot stand and sing the anthem. I cannot salute the flag; I know that I am a black man in a white world. In 1972, , in 1947, at my birth in 1919, I know that I never had it made. (xxiv)
And he ends with this:
But I still feel I owe--till every man can rent and lease and buy according to his money and his desires; until every child can have an equal opportunity in youth and manhood; until hunger is not only immoral but illegal; until hatred is recognized as a disease, a scourge, an epidemic, and treated as such; until racism and sexism and narcotics are conquered and until every man can vote and any man can be elected if he qualifies -- until that day Jackie Robinson and no one else can say he has it made. (269)
That would not be a bad world, though maybe now we can demand a little more.
August 8, 2013
A *3.5*Read this on my e-reader. A pretty decent read written by Jackie Robinson.I usually do not read books about sports. but this was a memoir written shortly before Jackie Robinson died in the early 1970s.Mr.Robinson wrote about his childhood and of course his years spent playing for the Dodgers what he endured being one of the first black men to play professional baseball. he was honest about the prejudices he endured those first few years, how slowly his teammates learned to accept him one by one. the cruelty he often faced. this was only a part of the book. Mr. Robinson talked a lot about how he was an advocate for African American rights. Fighting for civil rights, working with the NAACP.
He was honest about his political beliefs trying to back the president he felt would support civil rights. His friendship with Martin Luther KingjJR.
Jackie Robinson spent time writing about his family Rachel is wife. His three children Jackie Jr, Sharon and David. The tragic loss of his oldest son Jackie Jr. in a car crash and his son's battle with drug addiction and overcoming the addiction. This was a good autobiography. Mr. Robinson was direct in his beliefs and fights for civil rights for African Americans. I was glad I got the chance to know more about him in his own words.
He was honest about his political beliefs trying to back the president he felt would support civil rights. His friendship with Martin Luther KingjJR.
Jackie Robinson spent time writing about his family Rachel is wife. His three children Jackie Jr, Sharon and David. The tragic loss of his oldest son Jackie Jr. in a car crash and his son's battle with drug addiction and overcoming the addiction. This was a good autobiography. Mr. Robinson was direct in his beliefs and fights for civil rights for African Americans. I was glad I got the chance to know more about him in his own words.
May 2, 2013
Blunt and direct the way books released today would be unlikely to match. So many of the stories we have heard about Jackie over the years being told in the voice of the man who lived through these experiences is very powerful. Only Jackie and Branch Rickey (and perhaps Clyde Sukeforth) really know what was said in that very important first meeting. This also gives a vivid account of the many slights that Robinson did not know about firsthand, but only learned later. It is a story that shows Jackie's never-ending fight to deal with racism and the many instances when people were able to overcome their prejudices by simply seeing the way this great man lived his life. The transformation of his Mississippi-born manager at Montreal, Clay Hopper, from saying,"Do you really think that nigger is a human being?" (to Rickey at the beginning of Jackie's first season at Montreal) to him reaching out his hand at the end of that same season and saying, "You are a great ball player and a fine gentleman. It's been wonderful having you on the team." is astonishing. It is the reason why we need to continue to honor the sacrifices and accomplishments of Jackie and Rachel by retelling the story to future generations.
June 27, 2011
Shockingly honest -- the black autobiography white liberals can't afford not to read!
Given the smug, patronizing way Baby-Boom liberals from Anna Quindlen to Matt Groening have appropriated the Civil Rights movement as their own personal victory, it's genuinely shocking to hear the way Jackie Robinson defends Richard Nixon and ridicules JFK.
Yet that's only one of the shocking secrets you'll learn in this long-forgotten (or is that long-suppressed?) heroic narrative of the black experience.
Jackie tells it like it is, sure. But in the process he makes all the wrong enemies, pointing the finger at all the most "progressive" whites in the power structure. From Hollywood starlets who drool over the young Jackie "like a piece of meat" to phony JFK repeatedly pandering to his racist Irish immigrant base while pretending admire Jackie's "clean-cut" manners and wardrobe, this book reveals a number of disturbing truths about who the bad guys really are in white society.
You can't afford not to read it!
Given the smug, patronizing way Baby-Boom liberals from Anna Quindlen to Matt Groening have appropriated the Civil Rights movement as their own personal victory, it's genuinely shocking to hear the way Jackie Robinson defends Richard Nixon and ridicules JFK.
Yet that's only one of the shocking secrets you'll learn in this long-forgotten (or is that long-suppressed?) heroic narrative of the black experience.
Jackie tells it like it is, sure. But in the process he makes all the wrong enemies, pointing the finger at all the most "progressive" whites in the power structure. From Hollywood starlets who drool over the young Jackie "like a piece of meat" to phony JFK repeatedly pandering to his racist Irish immigrant base while pretending admire Jackie's "clean-cut" manners and wardrobe, this book reveals a number of disturbing truths about who the bad guys really are in white society.
You can't afford not to read it!
April 24, 2017
Reading I Never Had It Made served to remind me that the more things change, the more they remain the same. The racism Jackie Robinson experienced is the same racism Blacks are experiencing in 2016, the 21st Century, it only looks slightly different. You’ve got to admire a man who had the tenacity to accept the violence and hate of racism while building his career.
If you’re a sports fan you’ll enjoy reading about Jackie Robinson’s trials and tribulations. If you enjoy reading about history, you’ll enjoy reading about Jackie Robinson’s trials and tribulations. If you’re Black, you might ask yourself how could Jackie Robinson put himself through all that just to play ball because you most certainly wouldn’t have! Then you have to accept that you lack the perseverance, courage and integrity that Jackie Robinson had because what he went through paved the way for you!
I never had it made is well-written and an honest account of a brave man and a hero for his culture.
Not only do I salute you, Jackie Robinson, I thank you.
If you’re a sports fan you’ll enjoy reading about Jackie Robinson’s trials and tribulations. If you enjoy reading about history, you’ll enjoy reading about Jackie Robinson’s trials and tribulations. If you’re Black, you might ask yourself how could Jackie Robinson put himself through all that just to play ball because you most certainly wouldn’t have! Then you have to accept that you lack the perseverance, courage and integrity that Jackie Robinson had because what he went through paved the way for you!
I never had it made is well-written and an honest account of a brave man and a hero for his culture.
Not only do I salute you, Jackie Robinson, I thank you.
August 11, 2022
Fascinating look into the life of a special person, a significant time in history, and all kinds of things from baseball to coffee to Vietnam. I'm obsessed with baseball, but this book really covered most of the life of this interesting and talented man who unfortunately died quite young--the same year this was published.
April 8, 2025
Borrow.
A remarkable life and figure shared in his own (with help) words. The first half was particularly engaging and the journey and battle through baseball was the best part. I wish he had shared a bit more about his early life.
A remarkable life and figure shared in his own (with help) words. The first half was particularly engaging and the journey and battle through baseball was the best part. I wish he had shared a bit more about his early life.
August 11, 2013
Rating: 4 1/2 of 5 stars (excellent)
Review:Jackie Robinson is one of the few athletes whose importance and popularity transcended sports. “I Never Had It Made” is an excellent autobiography on his life, his outspoken views on the state of civil rights for black people during his life and oh, yes, a little bit about his baseball career with the Brooklyn Dodgers as well.
Most people know of his accomplishments on the baseball field and what he had to endure during his early years with the Dodgers, even those who are not sports fans. However, it might not be known to most readers that Robinson was also active in politics for the Republican Party. Given the history of the relationship between civil rights leaders and the GOP, that might come as a surprise, but Robinson does a good job of explaining why he did so and what the eventual outcome would be.
Robinson pulls no punches in this book. Whether it is about race relations in society, the military or baseball, or his relationships with first Branch Rickey and then Walter O’Malley, or the tender passages written about his wife Rachel and their three children, the reader will know without a doubt how Robinson feels about that topic.
By writing his true feelings and not sugar-coating it or making it more palatable for those who might not be comfortable with such frankness, I thought that every subject he wrote about was told in a much better way. The reader learns about the topic, gets Robinson’s perspective, and can then make up his or her own mind.
The baseball sections of the book are very good as well. There isn’t much description of on-field action or statistical analysis, however. This is written from a player’s point of view and the views expressed are just as much about the business and the social life on the field as well as hits and runs. It was just enough to satiate the sports fan in me, but because this book is so much more than just a sports book, it should be read with the objective of learning about other topics as well.
This book certainly will teach the reader a lot about that era in American history and a lot about Jackie Robinson, the man. “I Never Had It Made” is an excellent book that many readers should pick up and enjoy.
Did I skim?
No.
Did I learn something new?
Yes, a lot. Because Robinson recounted so many of his experiences in great detail, I learned so much about his convictions on race relations and civil rights. I did have a casual understanding of his off-field life and activities, but I did not realize how involved he was with the civil rights movement and politics.
Pace of the book:
Fairly slow, but in a good way. For a reader like me who wanted to learn so much more about the man, it was helpful to read the book slowly.
Positives:
There were so many in this book that it would be hard to list them all. However, I believe they can all be covered by just stating that was a very outspoken man and this book reflects that trait.
Negatives:
While this isn’t a negative for me, some readers might not be comfortable reading about Robinson’s candor on the controversial issues of his day. There were two notable problems in the editing of the e-book version. One was that a period was inserted prior to each use of the word “other.” The .other (intended to show that edit) was that when the World Series was discussed, the phrase was not capitalized as it is elsewhere.
Do I recommend?
Yes. Going well beyond sports and baseball, this book is a good source of information on issues concerning race relations and some events of the turbulent 1960’s. Whether the reader likes baseball, politics, history or biographies, this book is an excellent read for anybody who enjoys these topics.
Book Format Read:
EBook (Kindle)
Review:Jackie Robinson is one of the few athletes whose importance and popularity transcended sports. “I Never Had It Made” is an excellent autobiography on his life, his outspoken views on the state of civil rights for black people during his life and oh, yes, a little bit about his baseball career with the Brooklyn Dodgers as well.
Most people know of his accomplishments on the baseball field and what he had to endure during his early years with the Dodgers, even those who are not sports fans. However, it might not be known to most readers that Robinson was also active in politics for the Republican Party. Given the history of the relationship between civil rights leaders and the GOP, that might come as a surprise, but Robinson does a good job of explaining why he did so and what the eventual outcome would be.
Robinson pulls no punches in this book. Whether it is about race relations in society, the military or baseball, or his relationships with first Branch Rickey and then Walter O’Malley, or the tender passages written about his wife Rachel and their three children, the reader will know without a doubt how Robinson feels about that topic.
By writing his true feelings and not sugar-coating it or making it more palatable for those who might not be comfortable with such frankness, I thought that every subject he wrote about was told in a much better way. The reader learns about the topic, gets Robinson’s perspective, and can then make up his or her own mind.
The baseball sections of the book are very good as well. There isn’t much description of on-field action or statistical analysis, however. This is written from a player’s point of view and the views expressed are just as much about the business and the social life on the field as well as hits and runs. It was just enough to satiate the sports fan in me, but because this book is so much more than just a sports book, it should be read with the objective of learning about other topics as well.
This book certainly will teach the reader a lot about that era in American history and a lot about Jackie Robinson, the man. “I Never Had It Made” is an excellent book that many readers should pick up and enjoy.
Did I skim?
No.
Did I learn something new?
Yes, a lot. Because Robinson recounted so many of his experiences in great detail, I learned so much about his convictions on race relations and civil rights. I did have a casual understanding of his off-field life and activities, but I did not realize how involved he was with the civil rights movement and politics.
Pace of the book:
Fairly slow, but in a good way. For a reader like me who wanted to learn so much more about the man, it was helpful to read the book slowly.
Positives:
There were so many in this book that it would be hard to list them all. However, I believe they can all be covered by just stating that was a very outspoken man and this book reflects that trait.
Negatives:
While this isn’t a negative for me, some readers might not be comfortable reading about Robinson’s candor on the controversial issues of his day. There were two notable problems in the editing of the e-book version. One was that a period was inserted prior to each use of the word “other.” The .other (intended to show that edit) was that when the World Series was discussed, the phrase was not capitalized as it is elsewhere.
Do I recommend?
Yes. Going well beyond sports and baseball, this book is a good source of information on issues concerning race relations and some events of the turbulent 1960’s. Whether the reader likes baseball, politics, history or biographies, this book is an excellent read for anybody who enjoys these topics.
Book Format Read:
EBook (Kindle)
May 31, 2017
2015 Book Challenge #33: A book I started but never finished
This book was on sale on the Nook last summer, and I started it in July after finishing Mariano Rivera's The Closer, and I was so desperate for more baseball. I made the mistake of starting, however, while teaching summer school, so I stalled out after about 75 pages and finally started reading again in late December. I read the last 160 pages, however, in the last few days. Somehow, I was just as riveted at his life post-baseball as I was about his historic career with the Dodgers.
This book is one of the most authentically straightforward books I've ever read. It's not the easiest book to read in that sense as I sometimes felt like someone was sitting in front of me, staring straight at me, and speaking with an uncomfortable level of candidness. Once I got used to the writing style, however, I found this autobiography to be refreshingly honest with more emotional depth than I imagined.
So many aspects of Jackie Robinson's career are covered here: his close relationship with Branch Rickey, his tense relationship with some of his teammates, his decision to retire from baseball at the same time as he was traded to the Giants. But there was so much here that was unexpected: I didn't realize how powerful politically Jackie Robinson became in the years after baseball. I never would have guessed his strong ties to the Republican Party and his role as NY Governor Rockefeller's assistant. I had no idea about his roles in the various businesses and banks, either.
And I didn't know the story of his oldest son, Jackie, Jr., who served in Vietnam, where he established a drug addiction that followed him back to the States. He was arrested and spent several years getting cleaned up in rehab and beginning to work with youth and addicts in a beautiful, powerful way before dying in a car accident at the age of 24. The last chapters of the autobiography, in which Jackie Robinson talks about his relationship with his oldest son and his family's grief are beautifully written and devastating and a powerful testament to the love of family.
And Jackie Robinson's work in the black community and fighting for the rights of blacks in America is, I think, his most notable legacy. His voice, speaking out against injustice and for his people, is strong and clear and inspiring.
This book was on sale on the Nook last summer, and I started it in July after finishing Mariano Rivera's The Closer, and I was so desperate for more baseball. I made the mistake of starting, however, while teaching summer school, so I stalled out after about 75 pages and finally started reading again in late December. I read the last 160 pages, however, in the last few days. Somehow, I was just as riveted at his life post-baseball as I was about his historic career with the Dodgers.
This book is one of the most authentically straightforward books I've ever read. It's not the easiest book to read in that sense as I sometimes felt like someone was sitting in front of me, staring straight at me, and speaking with an uncomfortable level of candidness. Once I got used to the writing style, however, I found this autobiography to be refreshingly honest with more emotional depth than I imagined.
So many aspects of Jackie Robinson's career are covered here: his close relationship with Branch Rickey, his tense relationship with some of his teammates, his decision to retire from baseball at the same time as he was traded to the Giants. But there was so much here that was unexpected: I didn't realize how powerful politically Jackie Robinson became in the years after baseball. I never would have guessed his strong ties to the Republican Party and his role as NY Governor Rockefeller's assistant. I had no idea about his roles in the various businesses and banks, either.
And I didn't know the story of his oldest son, Jackie, Jr., who served in Vietnam, where he established a drug addiction that followed him back to the States. He was arrested and spent several years getting cleaned up in rehab and beginning to work with youth and addicts in a beautiful, powerful way before dying in a car accident at the age of 24. The last chapters of the autobiography, in which Jackie Robinson talks about his relationship with his oldest son and his family's grief are beautifully written and devastating and a powerful testament to the love of family.
And Jackie Robinson's work in the black community and fighting for the rights of blacks in America is, I think, his most notable legacy. His voice, speaking out against injustice and for his people, is strong and clear and inspiring.
September 29, 2013
A straightforward yet inspiring story of what it took to be the first man of color to break into the white world of professional sports. Jackie Robinson's story is more than a telling of his tremendous talent; it is also a recollection that showcases his tenacious spirit, bravery and the courage of his ideals. From the early influences of family and friends, to his time at UCLA, to the army where he challenged racism and Jim Crow laws, Jackie Robinson traces his life to playing in the black leagues, frustrated by the abuses and restrictions of second-class status in professional baseball. As Branch Rickey, president of the Brooklyn Dodgers, began to look around for a player to break the color barrier in 1946, he knew he needed a man of character who could withstand the pressures of his "Noble Experiment." Choosing Robinson gave both of them the chance to prove what they believed in. Struggles that continued in his personal life and in response to the turbulent sixties are interpreted with insight by Robinson and will give listeners an added appreciation for the amazing strength of his character.
December 20, 2016
I read this to find out about Robinson's politics and his Freedom Bank in Harlem and the book did not disappoint on those fronts. Robinson was a black Republican who was disillusioned during the 1968 election by the turn the Republican party took. He's also frank about what it was like to be a black banker. The stuff about baseball was really interest too, but I guess the other stuff was more up my ally.
October 1, 2015
I read this with a seventh grader and it led to lots of great conversations for which I am very grateful.
April 3, 2019
GoodRead....This Read makes Mi want more information about Jackie
April 3, 2017
Book Review for “I Never Had It Made”
The story “I never had it made” is about a African American baseball player that couldn't really play because of his dark complected skin color. The main characters in this book are Jackie Robinson, The coach, and all the players that started to believe in him. Jackie Robinson wanted to prove he could be one of the best baseball players in the world as an African American.
Jackie Robinson happened to run into some problems while becoming a major league baseball player. He was yelled at and called a nigger by every white man in the crowd. Jackie also had a lot of adventures such as his first home run, and showing everybody in the crowd he is great baseball player.
My favorite character in this book would have to be Jackie Robinson. I have a lot of respect for him the way he could just keep his cool when people were yelling stuff at him. I also feel bad how he was treated and the names he was called. No one should be treated like that.
I can’t really relate myself to Jackie because I have never been treated and hated by so many people like he has. Jackie was just trying to play the game he loves. I haven't treated anyone like the characters treated Jackie in the book. This book has made me realize how hard it was for African Americans to play back then.
The book was great, and I like pretty much any sports book so that helped a lot. My favorite part of the book is when Jackie's team decides that he is good and can help them so they treat him normally. I would highly recommend this book to others because it teaches you a lot and it is a great book.
The story “I never had it made” is about a African American baseball player that couldn't really play because of his dark complected skin color. The main characters in this book are Jackie Robinson, The coach, and all the players that started to believe in him. Jackie Robinson wanted to prove he could be one of the best baseball players in the world as an African American.
Jackie Robinson happened to run into some problems while becoming a major league baseball player. He was yelled at and called a nigger by every white man in the crowd. Jackie also had a lot of adventures such as his first home run, and showing everybody in the crowd he is great baseball player.
My favorite character in this book would have to be Jackie Robinson. I have a lot of respect for him the way he could just keep his cool when people were yelling stuff at him. I also feel bad how he was treated and the names he was called. No one should be treated like that.
I can’t really relate myself to Jackie because I have never been treated and hated by so many people like he has. Jackie was just trying to play the game he loves. I haven't treated anyone like the characters treated Jackie in the book. This book has made me realize how hard it was for African Americans to play back then.
The book was great, and I like pretty much any sports book so that helped a lot. My favorite part of the book is when Jackie's team decides that he is good and can help them so they treat him normally. I would highly recommend this book to others because it teaches you a lot and it is a great book.
November 30, 2017
Possibly the most bravest, compassionate, and outspoken man in the history of American sports, Jackie Robinson shares his entire life’s journey with the world in this groundbreaking autobiography, “I Never Had it Made.” Be prepared to hear the true story of #42, from his early years in California, the Army, and the Negro Leagues, to his ten years in professional baseball, along with a thorough commentary on his business and political aspirations following retirement as well as his plentiful contributions in the Civil Rights Movement and family life. Jackie truly tells it as it is, and the world is better to have known him.
Fair warning to those readers who only consider themselves sports enthusiasts rather than interested in an athlete’s complete life’s story: Robinson’s baseball career is definitely the secondary (if not a tertiary) theme of this book. And rightfully so, as Jackie prioritizes the majority of his book towards exploring in depth his personal and professional experiences with race relations and the Civil Rights Movement, as well as the highs and lows with his wife and three kids. As both a baseball fan and a historian, this autobiography was everything I could have ever wanted, albeit possibly a bit more on Jackie’s baseball career would have been beneficial to my reading experience. However, hearing for the first time of how Jackie spent his post-playing career and his personal beliefs and opinions regarding how to help blacks in American society, including in major league baseball, more than offset my small disappointment in the condensed coverage of his time with the Dodgers.
Regardless of how much you think you know about the one and only Jackie Robinson, hearing from the man himself in his legendary autobiography is a must-read before you pass from this life to the next.
Fair warning to those readers who only consider themselves sports enthusiasts rather than interested in an athlete’s complete life’s story: Robinson’s baseball career is definitely the secondary (if not a tertiary) theme of this book. And rightfully so, as Jackie prioritizes the majority of his book towards exploring in depth his personal and professional experiences with race relations and the Civil Rights Movement, as well as the highs and lows with his wife and three kids. As both a baseball fan and a historian, this autobiography was everything I could have ever wanted, albeit possibly a bit more on Jackie’s baseball career would have been beneficial to my reading experience. However, hearing for the first time of how Jackie spent his post-playing career and his personal beliefs and opinions regarding how to help blacks in American society, including in major league baseball, more than offset my small disappointment in the condensed coverage of his time with the Dodgers.
Regardless of how much you think you know about the one and only Jackie Robinson, hearing from the man himself in his legendary autobiography is a must-read before you pass from this life to the next.
November 9, 2020
To me, there are very few players that come close to Jackie Robinson in terms of representing the entire sport of Baseball. These names just conjure smells of peanuts and spilled beer, sounds of jeering crowds and the feel hot August air. Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio... and Jackie. To most of us, we never got to see him play or witness his first steps onto a baseball diamond completely devoid of any other color, and we just know of his accomplishments after the fact. Reading his autobiography gave me a more fleshed out understanding of Jackie: someone who is never wavered in who he was, both in baseball and in business.
If you go into reading this expecting 300-or-so pages of baseball career, you're going to be disappointed. Jackie may have made history playing baseball, but it is clear that he wanted to be remembered for all the things he did for Black people in America, which includes his speaking career with the NAACP, his work in politics for various presidential candidates, and his work in setting up a bank that catered to African-Americans. The book felt like it covered in equal part of each, which really shows how Jackie views his various accomplishments. He never felt like he was done serving, and reading this really gave me a deeper understanding of how somebody can use their fame to further their good work.
If you go into reading this expecting 300-or-so pages of baseball career, you're going to be disappointed. Jackie may have made history playing baseball, but it is clear that he wanted to be remembered for all the things he did for Black people in America, which includes his speaking career with the NAACP, his work in politics for various presidential candidates, and his work in setting up a bank that catered to African-Americans. The book felt like it covered in equal part of each, which really shows how Jackie views his various accomplishments. He never felt like he was done serving, and reading this really gave me a deeper understanding of how somebody can use their fame to further their good work.
February 18, 2022
History when talking about Black activists and leaders is a bit complicated. I respect Jackie Robinson and what he has done in the movement to integrate baseball— which is not to be mixed up with Black people going into a better league. Black leagues exist and were just as good, if not better, than white leagues. However, Jackie Robins political career, which is covered throughout this autobiography… is not it. While Jackie sincerely wanted nothing but dignity, respect, and equity for Black folks, he was a Black Republican who supported and campaigned for Nixon, openly opposed MLK for his stance against the Vietnam War (instead of talking to him first, Robinson just had to go to the papers with his little article), having a nasty public back and forth with Malcolm X (again in the paper). A moderate / right view is not and never will be the way to create a path forward. He definitely understood the the Republican Party and their problem with diversity, but stayed ?? I wish I could shake Jackie Robinson and ask him what was he thinking because so much made no sense.
Takeaways -I learned a lot about Jackie Robinson, don’t know when I’ll use that knowledge, and I may like Jackie Robinson a little bit less.
Takeaways -I learned a lot about Jackie Robinson, don’t know when I’ll use that knowledge, and I may like Jackie Robinson a little bit less.
September 22, 2019
Can't actually decide what to give this book - 2 or 3 stars. I had an extremely hard time getting into it/finishing it. For some reason I was compelled to finish it, and I'm overall glad I did. I am really impressed with Jackie Robinson. I didn't know a lot about him going in, but he really did a lot of good, and really tried hard to make this world a better place for everyone. Again just really impressed with the person that he was, I just did not love the writing style at all but the content is really good.
January 9, 2020
The title of the book does not lie. As a black man in an entirely white world, Jackie Robinson never had it made. He was never given anything in life, and put his blood, sweat, and tears in to everything he did. Whether it's on the baseball field or on the debate floor, Jackie Robinson made sure to make his name known. He was a trailblazer not only athletically, but in every other facet as well. Jackie never backed down and had a blue-collar attitude to everything he did. Maybe that's why everyone admired Jackie?His attitude. I certainly do. Jackie's heart and work ethic will never be forgotten.
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