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Washington Mews Books
42 Today: Jackie Robinson and His Legacy
Explores Jackie Robinson's compelling and complicated legacy
Before the United States Supreme Court ruled against segregation in public schools, and before Rosa Parks refused to surrender her bus seat in Montgomery, Alabama, Jackie Robinson walked onto the diamond on April 15, 1947, as first baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers, making history as the first African American to integrate Major League Baseball in the twentieth century. Today a national icon, Robinson was a complicated man who navigated an even more complicated world that both celebrated and despised him.
Many are familiar with Robinson as a baseball hero. Few, however, know of the inner turmoil that came with his historic status. Featuring piercing essays from a range of distinguished sportswriters, cultural critics, and scholars, this book explores Robinson's perspectives and legacies on civil rights, sports, faith, youth, and nonviolence, while providing rare glimpses into the struggles and strength of one of the nation's most athletically gifted and politically significant citizens. Featuring a foreword by celebrated directors and producers Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, and David McMahon, this volume recasts Jackie Robinson's legacy and establishes how he set a precedent for future civil rights activism, from Black Lives Matter to Colin Kaepernick.
Before the United States Supreme Court ruled against segregation in public schools, and before Rosa Parks refused to surrender her bus seat in Montgomery, Alabama, Jackie Robinson walked onto the diamond on April 15, 1947, as first baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers, making history as the first African American to integrate Major League Baseball in the twentieth century. Today a national icon, Robinson was a complicated man who navigated an even more complicated world that both celebrated and despised him.
Many are familiar with Robinson as a baseball hero. Few, however, know of the inner turmoil that came with his historic status. Featuring piercing essays from a range of distinguished sportswriters, cultural critics, and scholars, this book explores Robinson's perspectives and legacies on civil rights, sports, faith, youth, and nonviolence, while providing rare glimpses into the struggles and strength of one of the nation's most athletically gifted and politically significant citizens. Featuring a foreword by celebrated directors and producers Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, and David McMahon, this volume recasts Jackie Robinson's legacy and establishes how he set a precedent for future civil rights activism, from Black Lives Matter to Colin Kaepernick.
256 pages, Hardcover
Published February 9, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
February 3, 2023
"On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson sent a seismic wave across America with his barrier-breaking first game in Major League Baseball. It was arguably the most significant progress in civil rights since Reconstruction." -- from the foreword by the father/daughter filmmaker duo of Ken & Sarah Burns
Yet another in the seemingly endless line of books regarding the legendary Jackie Robinson (not like that's a bad thing, however, especially for my fellow Dodgers fans - woot woot!), editor Long has assembled a dozen essays on the baseball icon from a diverse line-up of authors, educators, and journalists. (The only name immediately familiar to me was the sports bio specialist Jonathan Eig, who penned the excellent books Ali: A Life and Opening Day: The Story of Jackie Robinson's First Season.) These are some opinionated pieces, and while I didn't necessarily agree with all of the viewpoints offered herein - there were handful of comparisons with the trailblazing Robinson to a certain 21st century athlete that fell flat as a pancake - they were otherwise uniformly well-written and occasionally brought to light new or illuminating information on Robinson in his childhood / college / military years, his baseball career, his civil rights activism, and his now-distinguished status.
Yet another in the seemingly endless line of books regarding the legendary Jackie Robinson (not like that's a bad thing, however, especially for my fellow Dodgers fans - woot woot!), editor Long has assembled a dozen essays on the baseball icon from a diverse line-up of authors, educators, and journalists. (The only name immediately familiar to me was the sports bio specialist Jonathan Eig, who penned the excellent books Ali: A Life and Opening Day: The Story of Jackie Robinson's First Season.) These are some opinionated pieces, and while I didn't necessarily agree with all of the viewpoints offered herein - there were handful of comparisons with the trailblazing Robinson to a certain 21st century athlete that fell flat as a pancake - they were otherwise uniformly well-written and occasionally brought to light new or illuminating information on Robinson in his childhood / college / military years, his baseball career, his civil rights activism, and his now-distinguished status.
April 20, 2021
"42 Today" was published on Feb 9. It consists of a Forward by Ken Burns, an Introduction by Michael G Long, 12 essays about Robinson by 12 different authors and an Afterward The Legacy of Perfection by Kevin Merida. It is a MORE THAN worthy title to be read in Black History Month. When I was 7% through (still in Chapter 1), I already knew I would rate it 5 stars.
Ken Burns- This book will paint a different picture of Robinson. Not just the unthreatening martyr, but also a stubborn, intelligent, outspoken activist.
Michael G Long- Quotes Robinson: "A Life is not important except in the impact it has on others."
I was especially impressed with this information provided in Chapter 1 The Owner by Howard Bryant. In it, Bryant describes the difference between Ownership and Advancement. Robinson espoused Ownership, which means grab our rights NOW. America wanted Advancement- a slow, determined path to acceptance and equality. Robinson was more than on the right track.
In the rest of the chapters, I learned Robinson was a Methodist, a Republican, and a member of the board of Chock Full of Nuts.
Robinson was an extremely intelligent person who expressed his views through his own newspaper columns and interviews.
In the chapter The First Famous Jock for Justice by Peter Dreier, Dreier states:
“(Robinson) believed that as an American citizen, and as a black man in a racist society, he had an obligation to use his fame to challenge the social and political status quo.”
I cannot say enough good things about this book. In conjunction with the book The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation, which I recently finished, I have learned so much of the plight (and fight) of the African American.
Please read both of these books if you can.
5 stars
Ken Burns- This book will paint a different picture of Robinson. Not just the unthreatening martyr, but also a stubborn, intelligent, outspoken activist.
Michael G Long- Quotes Robinson: "A Life is not important except in the impact it has on others."
I was especially impressed with this information provided in Chapter 1 The Owner by Howard Bryant. In it, Bryant describes the difference between Ownership and Advancement. Robinson espoused Ownership, which means grab our rights NOW. America wanted Advancement- a slow, determined path to acceptance and equality. Robinson was more than on the right track.
In the rest of the chapters, I learned Robinson was a Methodist, a Republican, and a member of the board of Chock Full of Nuts.
Robinson was an extremely intelligent person who expressed his views through his own newspaper columns and interviews.
In the chapter The First Famous Jock for Justice by Peter Dreier, Dreier states:
“(Robinson) believed that as an American citizen, and as a black man in a racist society, he had an obligation to use his fame to challenge the social and political status quo.”
I cannot say enough good things about this book. In conjunction with the book The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation, which I recently finished, I have learned so much of the plight (and fight) of the African American.
Please read both of these books if you can.
5 stars
September 6, 2020
While much has been written and discussed about Jackie Robinson the baseball player and the historical importance of his breaking of the color barrier in Major League baseball, there isn’t as much written about his political activity and other important actions that he did in the civil rights movement of the 1950’s and 1960’s. This book, a collection of long essays edited by Michael G. Long, goes a long way in bringing those activities by Robinson into the public’s eye as well as his baseball.
That isn’t to say this book ignores his contribution to baseball or his baseball career. There is plenty of material in the book, with information and quotes from notable Robinson biography writers such as Arnold Rampersand and Jonathan Eig, that highlight Robinson’s contribution to baseball’s integration and also will tell the truth about some of the baseball myths about Robinson, such as befriending Dixie Walker and Pee Wee Reese putting his arm around Robinson. The latter was strongly refuted by Robinson’s widow Rachel in the book. The baseball actions also illustrate that he played the game as an angry man, even when he “played by (Branch) Rickey’s rules and kept himself under control.”
Speaking of Rachel, she has always claimed that “Jack” wasn’t an angry man and the book states in the prologue that it will challenge that notion. On that, it certainly hit the mark as Robinson’s political and baseball life. He was a staunch Republican supporter in the 1960 election with his support of Richard Nixon, mainly because Nixon’s concept of creating a government agency with the specific goal of supporting Black-owned businesses was put into action by the party. That is just one of the many political writings and issues addressed in the book. What is very striking about some of these are that some could very well have been stated in today’s political and social climate.
While the information is very good and even outside of topics one would associate with Robinson – his connection to other Black trailblazing athletes such as Wilma Rudolph and Althea Gibson is one example – there is significant material that if one has previously read about Robinson, chances are the information won’t be new to the reader as was the case for me. This doesn’t diminish the powerful message behind the book and the connection to today’s world cannot be ignored. Readers don’t have to be baseball fans or know much about Robinson to be moved by his actions.
I wish to thank New York University Press for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
https://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/20...
That isn’t to say this book ignores his contribution to baseball or his baseball career. There is plenty of material in the book, with information and quotes from notable Robinson biography writers such as Arnold Rampersand and Jonathan Eig, that highlight Robinson’s contribution to baseball’s integration and also will tell the truth about some of the baseball myths about Robinson, such as befriending Dixie Walker and Pee Wee Reese putting his arm around Robinson. The latter was strongly refuted by Robinson’s widow Rachel in the book. The baseball actions also illustrate that he played the game as an angry man, even when he “played by (Branch) Rickey’s rules and kept himself under control.”
Speaking of Rachel, she has always claimed that “Jack” wasn’t an angry man and the book states in the prologue that it will challenge that notion. On that, it certainly hit the mark as Robinson’s political and baseball life. He was a staunch Republican supporter in the 1960 election with his support of Richard Nixon, mainly because Nixon’s concept of creating a government agency with the specific goal of supporting Black-owned businesses was put into action by the party. That is just one of the many political writings and issues addressed in the book. What is very striking about some of these are that some could very well have been stated in today’s political and social climate.
While the information is very good and even outside of topics one would associate with Robinson – his connection to other Black trailblazing athletes such as Wilma Rudolph and Althea Gibson is one example – there is significant material that if one has previously read about Robinson, chances are the information won’t be new to the reader as was the case for me. This doesn’t diminish the powerful message behind the book and the connection to today’s world cannot be ignored. Readers don’t have to be baseball fans or know much about Robinson to be moved by his actions.
I wish to thank New York University Press for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
https://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/20...
September 16, 2025
Unlike most books about Jackie Robinson, this is a collection of essays that studies his social activism. Rather than focusing solely on his baseball achievements, the book presents Robinson's faith, his support for the Vietnam War, political alignment, conflicts with Malcolm X, and role in the civil rights movement. His position as the first Black player in Major League Baseball in the modern era (with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947) is not ignored, but it is not the primary focus. The book comprises thirteen essays from sportswriters and scholars. Each contributor examines different aspects of Robinson's life and legacy, from his childhood and military service to his business ventures and political positions. Several essays connect Robinson to current movements such as Black Lives Matter. I enjoyed learning more about the man behind the legend.
February 16, 2021
42 Today was an interesting, and informative, read. I liked how it was broken down into essays, written by a wide range of authors, as it brought different views of Mr. Robinson to the table.
I learned a lot more about Jackie Robinson, as both an athlete and as a man, than I had known previously.
Parts of this book were very compelling, especially the stories focused on his early years in baseball, and all he had to endure as the first Black man in the major leagues. People really are despicable, and it's disgusting to think that there are still so many that would treat him the same way today.
The stories that focused more on the political side of his life, his activism both during and after his baseball career, were very enlightening- there is much I didn't know about the man, and it gave me an even greater appreciation for him.
I did feel some of the essays tended to get a little repetitive, and there were sections that I ended up skimming, as they didn't really feel necessary to the overall story that was being told.
After reading 42 Today: Jackie Robinson and His Legacy I can't help but think Mr. Robinson would be disappointed in how far we haven't come as a country. His comment, "I am not concerned about your liking or disliking me. All I ask is that you respect me as a human being.", is one of the more profound statements shared in this book. And as we've seen in the past year, the US has more than its share of those who still, after all this time, believe people of color are lesser than. It's probably a good thing Jackie Robinson isn't around to see the lack of progress made in the past 50 years.
I learned a lot more about Jackie Robinson, as both an athlete and as a man, than I had known previously.
Parts of this book were very compelling, especially the stories focused on his early years in baseball, and all he had to endure as the first Black man in the major leagues. People really are despicable, and it's disgusting to think that there are still so many that would treat him the same way today.
The stories that focused more on the political side of his life, his activism both during and after his baseball career, were very enlightening- there is much I didn't know about the man, and it gave me an even greater appreciation for him.
I did feel some of the essays tended to get a little repetitive, and there were sections that I ended up skimming, as they didn't really feel necessary to the overall story that was being told.
After reading 42 Today: Jackie Robinson and His Legacy I can't help but think Mr. Robinson would be disappointed in how far we haven't come as a country. His comment, "I am not concerned about your liking or disliking me. All I ask is that you respect me as a human being.", is one of the more profound statements shared in this book. And as we've seen in the past year, the US has more than its share of those who still, after all this time, believe people of color are lesser than. It's probably a good thing Jackie Robinson isn't around to see the lack of progress made in the past 50 years.
December 13, 2020
I have received this title via NetGalley and publishers in exchange for an honest review
This collection of essays beautifully portrayed Jackie Robinson's journey in his baseball career. It covers aspects of his personal life, his struggles with teammates, his struggles with the public, and his image within the Civil Rights Movement. I wish there had been more coverage of his political involvement. What is mentioned, is repeated several times. I thoroughly enjoyed the essay that discusses Jackie Robinson as being the pioneer of minorities in professional sports, for women, LGBTQIA+, and people of color. It was beautifully written.
This collection of essays beautifully portrayed Jackie Robinson's journey in his baseball career. It covers aspects of his personal life, his struggles with teammates, his struggles with the public, and his image within the Civil Rights Movement. I wish there had been more coverage of his political involvement. What is mentioned, is repeated several times. I thoroughly enjoyed the essay that discusses Jackie Robinson as being the pioneer of minorities in professional sports, for women, LGBTQIA+, and people of color. It was beautifully written.
February 7, 2021
"I cannot stand and sing the anthem. I cannot salute the flag; I know that I am a Black man in a White world." That is not a quote from Colin Kaepernick but from Jackie Robinson. We are all familiar with the “story” about Jackie, he always turned the other cheek, and the courageousness of Branch Rickey, etc. However, that is only part, and not a very accurate portrayal, of the story.
“42 Today: Jackie Robinson and His Legacy”, a recently released book of essays edited by Michael G. Long, aims to change that narrative and provide a more complex Robinson who was not only courageous but important, not only to baseball and sports, but to America and the civil rights movement. “Robinson was the first well-known professional athlete in post-World War II America to use his celebrity to speak out against social justice.” However, the press, “many of whom had once praised him for his self-control, took exception to his outspokenness, calling him ungrateful and urging him to be a baseball player, not a crusader.” So it is probably no accident and not really a surprise we don’t hear more about this when people discuss Jackie Robinson. This is nothing new as the impact of what he meant for the sport and America was often overlooked at time when he joined the Dodgers in 1947, especially by White journalists and White publications. The pieces in this book try to change that by discussing what Robinson meant to the civil rights movement, politics, and the wider sports world.
Yohuru Williams, writes in his essay, the “deployment of the ‘Good Negro’ troupe plagued Robinson throughout much of his post-baseball life. It obscured the depth and complexity of thinking he brought to many issues impacting the Black community.”
“NAACP executive director Roy Wilkins echoed Gregory’s assessment in speaking of Jack’s legacy on the black freedom struggle beyond words and symbols. As he observed, “Jackie’s contributions have been threefold. First, his conduct and performance as the pioneer Negro in major league baseball broke down barriers across the board for other Negroes. Secondly, his direct involvement in his work for the NAACP, his speeches, his writings have given our cause incalculably greater momentum. Thirdly, his present activities in the business field are helping to bridge the wide gap that separates the Negro from positions in business and industry.”
Since these are individual essays the reader will encounter some of the same quotes and tidbits in different essays. However, I highly recommend this book if you want to learn more about Jackie Robinson and importance he had not only in sports, but in America.
America has made some progress since Jackie Robinson first stepped foot on that field, but it has a long way left to go. Robinson would be disappointed in the lack of progress we have made over the years. However, he should be proud of his legacy and what he did to help move this country closer to our ideals promised in the Declaration of Independence. “Jackie Robinson,” say Kevin Merida, “deserves to be remembered and assessed as the courageous, complex man he was. And not as a character from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.” This book helps to do that and highly recommend.
“42 Today: Jackie Robinson and His Legacy”, a recently released book of essays edited by Michael G. Long, aims to change that narrative and provide a more complex Robinson who was not only courageous but important, not only to baseball and sports, but to America and the civil rights movement. “Robinson was the first well-known professional athlete in post-World War II America to use his celebrity to speak out against social justice.” However, the press, “many of whom had once praised him for his self-control, took exception to his outspokenness, calling him ungrateful and urging him to be a baseball player, not a crusader.” So it is probably no accident and not really a surprise we don’t hear more about this when people discuss Jackie Robinson. This is nothing new as the impact of what he meant for the sport and America was often overlooked at time when he joined the Dodgers in 1947, especially by White journalists and White publications. The pieces in this book try to change that by discussing what Robinson meant to the civil rights movement, politics, and the wider sports world.
Yohuru Williams, writes in his essay, the “deployment of the ‘Good Negro’ troupe plagued Robinson throughout much of his post-baseball life. It obscured the depth and complexity of thinking he brought to many issues impacting the Black community.”
“NAACP executive director Roy Wilkins echoed Gregory’s assessment in speaking of Jack’s legacy on the black freedom struggle beyond words and symbols. As he observed, “Jackie’s contributions have been threefold. First, his conduct and performance as the pioneer Negro in major league baseball broke down barriers across the board for other Negroes. Secondly, his direct involvement in his work for the NAACP, his speeches, his writings have given our cause incalculably greater momentum. Thirdly, his present activities in the business field are helping to bridge the wide gap that separates the Negro from positions in business and industry.”
Since these are individual essays the reader will encounter some of the same quotes and tidbits in different essays. However, I highly recommend this book if you want to learn more about Jackie Robinson and importance he had not only in sports, but in America.
America has made some progress since Jackie Robinson first stepped foot on that field, but it has a long way left to go. Robinson would be disappointed in the lack of progress we have made over the years. However, he should be proud of his legacy and what he did to help move this country closer to our ideals promised in the Declaration of Independence. “Jackie Robinson,” say Kevin Merida, “deserves to be remembered and assessed as the courageous, complex man he was. And not as a character from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.” This book helps to do that and highly recommend.
June 5, 2021
As a huge fan of the Dodgers I have a special affinity for Jackie Robinson. My grandmother who was a Brooklyn native used to tell me stories about going to see Jackie at Ebbets Field. I was always in awe. This book pushes that awe forward.
42 TODAY offers another, often overlooked, take on the hero that wore 42. It looks at how he worked with and sometimes contrary to the Civil Rights movements of the 1950s and 1960s. His relationships with Martin Luther King Jr, Malcom X, Muhammed Ali and many others from Richard Nixon to Hubert Humphrey. How he was not just someone set in his way. He was thoughtful and learned all the time. He had his perspective on things but was not afraid to make changes in how he thought. This book explores so much of the complexity that was the man that is Jackie Robinson. He was not some Marvel Cinematic Hero but a man who believed in his convictions and sought equality.
42 TODAY offers another, often overlooked, take on the hero that wore 42. It looks at how he worked with and sometimes contrary to the Civil Rights movements of the 1950s and 1960s. His relationships with Martin Luther King Jr, Malcom X, Muhammed Ali and many others from Richard Nixon to Hubert Humphrey. How he was not just someone set in his way. He was thoughtful and learned all the time. He had his perspective on things but was not afraid to make changes in how he thought. This book explores so much of the complexity that was the man that is Jackie Robinson. He was not some Marvel Cinematic Hero but a man who believed in his convictions and sought equality.
May 9, 2021
A great collection of essays about a great man, and a true activist athlete. Traversing ground from Jackie Robinson's religious and political leanings (he was a Methodist and a Republican) to his civil rights activism to, of course, his baseball prowess, 42 Today gives incredible insight into the way Jackie Robinson paved the way for all who would come after him.
The best part for me was Part IV, where the book turns more forward and begins looking at the legacy of Jackie Robinson in shaping activism by professional athletes and in the effects of all of remaking Jackie Robinson's image and drawing comparisons between him and other barrier breakers who have come after him. In particular, I found Peter Dreier's essay, "The First Famous Jock for Justice" to be extremely informative about the platform and even leverage that professional athletes have to advance social consequences and so many of the reasons that they do not. And there is so much more to it than we have seen even with Colin Kaepernick, who has continued his activism at the cost of his NFL career (and several of these essays counter head on the notion that Jackie Robinson would not have supported Kaepernick's activism). But Jackie Robinson was tremendously involved in on-the-ground organizing, even during his active Major League Baseball career, including picketing Woolworth lunch counters in solidarity with sit-inners. At the end of his essay, Drier calls for athletes today to do more:
Taking a knee or locking arms during the national anthem and tweeting and making public statements opposing Trump's racism and ignorance of the First Amendment give athletes a platform to speak out on controversial issues. But there is much more athletes can do to challenge the political status quo, as Jackie Robinson, Billie Jean King, Sean Doolittle, and others have shown. When was the last time you saw a celebrity athlete standing in front of a post office or grocery store, holding voter registration forms, or walking precincts and going door-to-door in low-income and minority neighborhoods, urging people to vote? If athletes ventured onto the streets to participate in rallies, protests, and pickets about police abuses, voter suppression, workers' rights, or deportation of immigrants, their gestures would generate considerable media attention for these causes.
That said, I also really enjoyed reading about how Jackie Robinson changed the game of baseball by bringing in a more aggressive style of play that dominated the Negro Leagues. How baseball was only his fourth best sport, and how absolutely exceptional he was at it.
Overall, just a phenomenal read. Some of the essays do touch on the same points, but all of them bring a unique perspective that tie this collection together well.
My sincere thanks to NYU Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for the review.
The best part for me was Part IV, where the book turns more forward and begins looking at the legacy of Jackie Robinson in shaping activism by professional athletes and in the effects of all of remaking Jackie Robinson's image and drawing comparisons between him and other barrier breakers who have come after him. In particular, I found Peter Dreier's essay, "The First Famous Jock for Justice" to be extremely informative about the platform and even leverage that professional athletes have to advance social consequences and so many of the reasons that they do not. And there is so much more to it than we have seen even with Colin Kaepernick, who has continued his activism at the cost of his NFL career (and several of these essays counter head on the notion that Jackie Robinson would not have supported Kaepernick's activism). But Jackie Robinson was tremendously involved in on-the-ground organizing, even during his active Major League Baseball career, including picketing Woolworth lunch counters in solidarity with sit-inners. At the end of his essay, Drier calls for athletes today to do more:
Taking a knee or locking arms during the national anthem and tweeting and making public statements opposing Trump's racism and ignorance of the First Amendment give athletes a platform to speak out on controversial issues. But there is much more athletes can do to challenge the political status quo, as Jackie Robinson, Billie Jean King, Sean Doolittle, and others have shown. When was the last time you saw a celebrity athlete standing in front of a post office or grocery store, holding voter registration forms, or walking precincts and going door-to-door in low-income and minority neighborhoods, urging people to vote? If athletes ventured onto the streets to participate in rallies, protests, and pickets about police abuses, voter suppression, workers' rights, or deportation of immigrants, their gestures would generate considerable media attention for these causes.
That said, I also really enjoyed reading about how Jackie Robinson changed the game of baseball by bringing in a more aggressive style of play that dominated the Negro Leagues. How baseball was only his fourth best sport, and how absolutely exceptional he was at it.
Overall, just a phenomenal read. Some of the essays do touch on the same points, but all of them bring a unique perspective that tie this collection together well.
My sincere thanks to NYU Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for the review.
January 22, 2022
On April 15, 1947, Jackie Roosevelt Robinson stepped onto the field as the first baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers, forever changing baseball. Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, becoming the first Black athlete in America’s pastime, single-handedly integrating the sport.
"42 Today: Jackie Robinson and his Legacy" dives into the unvarnished truth about the legendary athlete, beyond his impact on baseball. Editor Michael G. Long curated thirteen essays written by insightful writers who explore critical moments from Robinson’s youth and career, as they explicate Robinson’s long-lasting impact on the ethos of American sports. The book explores Robinson’s faith, politics, and civil rights activism, making it an enlightening read for anyone who values the lessons of hard-fought racial integration in American society.
Renowned sports writers, journalists, professors, and activists who contributed to the volume do not breeze over the racism that Robinson endured during his career. Howard Bryant explores the legend’s “uncompromising sense of equality” in “The Owner.” Yohuru Williams examines Robinson’s contributions to the Black freedom movement in “I’ve Got To Be Me.” Jonathan Eig’s “Telling it the Right Way” dispels the myth that Robinson was wholeheartedly welcomed and supported by his White teammates. Collectively, the essays offer an intimate and complex portrait of Jackie Robinson as a sports legend and a political actor: an outspoken voice in the civil rights movement, practicing nonviolence, and advocating for racial justice.
This review was originally published in San Francisco Book Review
"42 Today: Jackie Robinson and his Legacy" dives into the unvarnished truth about the legendary athlete, beyond his impact on baseball. Editor Michael G. Long curated thirteen essays written by insightful writers who explore critical moments from Robinson’s youth and career, as they explicate Robinson’s long-lasting impact on the ethos of American sports. The book explores Robinson’s faith, politics, and civil rights activism, making it an enlightening read for anyone who values the lessons of hard-fought racial integration in American society.
Renowned sports writers, journalists, professors, and activists who contributed to the volume do not breeze over the racism that Robinson endured during his career. Howard Bryant explores the legend’s “uncompromising sense of equality” in “The Owner.” Yohuru Williams examines Robinson’s contributions to the Black freedom movement in “I’ve Got To Be Me.” Jonathan Eig’s “Telling it the Right Way” dispels the myth that Robinson was wholeheartedly welcomed and supported by his White teammates. Collectively, the essays offer an intimate and complex portrait of Jackie Robinson as a sports legend and a political actor: an outspoken voice in the civil rights movement, practicing nonviolence, and advocating for racial justice.
This review was originally published in San Francisco Book Review
February 15, 2021
I received a free ARC from netgalley for this book. I really enjoy non fiction and historical topics on civil rights. I have seen the movie 42 and I know some about Jackie Robinson. The book gave me a deeper understanding and love for Jackie Robinson.
I can not imagine what Jackie endured. I did not realize he went to UCLA and lived in Pasadena. The grace of this amazing player. I did not realize that he was so involved in the civil rights movement (way before Rosa Parks). He died too young and really never got the respect he deserved.
The book looks at his life. The book looks at the life of so many athletes after him in regards to race, sex, and LGBT rights. The book, also, looks at how Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, Richard Nixon, Barack Obama, Trump, and so many more, were influenced by him or how he influenced them (or the problems with these historical figures).
A majority of the book isn't about Jackie Robinson. It feels like he is looking down at us and educating us. The book is really fascinating on so many levels.
My only criticism of the book is that the chapters are long and a little difficult to read. The chapters have subcategories. The chapters can cover so much ground.
I am so very glad that I was given the opportunity to read this book. It is definitely a book that should be read more than once.
March 22, 2021
A series of essays looking back at Robinson, ranging from religion to his place in socially protesting athletes to a last chapter covering the ground of his trailblazing compared and contrasted with those of the first openly gay athletes. Plenty of this has been written before (I know because I've done some of it myself), but the various authors keep the topics fresh. Some do so more artfully than others, but it's a quick and interesting read on the whole.
June 15, 2022
I could have used much more information on how the book was organized and the different contributors. Every chapter is a stand alone essay from a different author. That created a lot of repetition and made the book difficult to read. The book also could have used a more clear subtitle as the book hardly talks about baseball at all. It’s nearly entirely about Jackie Robinson’s impact in politics and race issues. It reads like a history lesson.
December 20, 2021
The book shares really good information but it’s format (chapters written by different authors) creates significant repetition of some of the same stories and accounts. Makes for a bit of a slow read.
April 15, 2021
I really enjoy the book and I like how it talk about past and the present about Jackie Robinson and his Legacy.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews