Racial Stereotyping In '42' By Jackie Robinson

A man walks out of the dugout at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, “The blue number 42 was on the back of his white Brooklyn Dodger uniform as Jackie Robinson took up his position at first base at Ebbets Field on April 15, 1947, opening day of the baseball season” (Frommer 21). The crowd boos and jeers him, yet he plays for the home team. Why? This man is Jackie Robinson, an African American who has broken the color barrier in baseball. Before Jackie Robinson, only white men played in Major League Baseball.

In the film 42 the main character is Jackie Robinson. He was the first African American, male baseball player, to play on an all white major league baseball team. He was signed and played his first game with the Brooklyn Dodgers. His first year of playing with the Dodgers was rough. Robinson was racial segregated by opposing teams, fans, and even his own teammates.

Jackie Robinson is a name well known around the world in baseball they know him by 41. Jackie Robinson made history in 1947 when destroyed the color separation between whites and blacks. Jackie Robinson went on to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers. People new Jackie Robinson was special after his first season he won National League Rookie of the Year award. Jackie Robinson is the topic for today’s essay.

The number 42 has been retired from Major League Baseball. Jackie Robinson was a legend in the baseball community. He was the first black person to break the color barrier in sports. With a story that is hard to imagine, this biography should be interesting.

When people see or hear the number 42, they think of one person-Jackie Robinson. He was not just a baseball player, he was the baseball player that was not afraid to break through the color line. Jackie Robinson was the first African American male to play on a major league baseball team- the Dodgers. By Robinson playing on this team ended racial segregation that had held African American players to make their own league to enjoy the sport of baseball. It was a true stepping stone and it got Jackie Robinson into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962.

There are many reasons why Jackie Robinson is my favorite character in the movie “42”. The attitude/ appearance that Jackie Robinson had was calm and collected until someone in the baseball field or in the crowd would make him upset. When Jackie would walk up to the plate, people would call him names and curse at him but he would just ignore them. The dialogue that Jackie Robinson uses would be nice dialogue.

What can one man do in the face of extreme adversity? In the face of extreme prejudice and racism, Jackie Robinson helped to change the opinions of a nation, as well as progress Afro-American people to a path away from racial segregation. The film 42 shows his actions at the time of his MLB career and how they have historically impacted the Civil Rights movement moving forward. Additionally, it relates to the time in which it was produced by enlightening otherwise uninformed people as to how the actions of a few can impact the lives of many with the right direction and bravery. Robinson changed the views of people simply by playing his sport to the best of his ability.

hat is the nature and causes of the issue? Media misrepresentation of African Americans as an industry issue has been a major concern in our American culture; and is also a component of media bias in the United States. Unfortunately, the media representation of minorities has not always been in a positive light. Instead there has been publicized, controversial and misconstrued images of who African Americans truly are. Since the mass media is an important source of information about African Americans and their image, it influences the public perception and reinforce opinions about African Americans.

The movie 42 is based on the true story of Jackie Robinson, known as the first black man to play in Major League Baseball. Robinson was a baseball player who played for the Kansas City Monarchs, a Negro League team, and was signed by Branch Rickey, the owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Through his journey to the Major Leagues, starting with the…on his way up to the majors, Robinson was faced with many hardships in his career as whites time and time again disrespected him and repeatedly told him he did not belong in the “all-white” Major Leagues. Robinson was expected by Mr. Rickey to not fight back no matter what. With his work ethic and the determination to keep his composure no matter what, Jackie Robinson earned the respect of all white players and fans and proved

As Branch Rickey once famously said, “We had a victory of fascism in Germany. It's time, time we had a victory over racism at home.” Throughout the incredible movie 42, the director relates the story back to this main theme; there needs to be a victory over racism at home in America. The movie starts out fast and never stops moving forward. The actors do a fantastic job portraying the main characters and help show what Jackie Robinson went through during the roughest, and most exciting, years of his life.

The movie 42 is based on the historical event of the first professional African American baseball player. Jackie Robinson, played by Chadwick Boseman, has to make his mark in Major League Baseball. 42 displays the discrimination that the black community underwent in the 1960s. Becoming the first African American professional would not have been an easy task by any means; at the time, blacks were not allowed to use the same bathrooms, drinking fountains, hotels, etc, as the white community. Dut to the actors and the emotions they bring forth from the audience, the music that enhances these emotions, and the realism of the of the time period, the movie 42 successfully captures this historical milestone.

'42 ' Review Throughout American history, African Americans have been mistreated and abused systematically. The film 42, directed by Brian Helgeland, summarizes the life of Jackie Robinson, a baseball player in the 1940s, who stood against such discrimination. Many African American men were returning from the emotional victory of World War II, where they served in support of the same country, striving for the same goal as the rest of America. At home, however, African Americans had another war to win, as they returned to segregation and Jim Crow laws. In baseball, African Americans were forced to play in the Negro Leagues, entirely separate from the Major Leagues.

“You give me a uniform, you give me a number on my back, I'll give you the guts.” Throughout the 2013 film “42”, Jackie Robinson indeed proves that he has the guts to counter racism in people from all walks of life. Character is the aspect of a person that decides what kind of person he is; it is who he is at his very core, and it affects his tolerance, courage, and sense of justice. Jackie’s dealing with the racism conveys true character, and it teaches the viewer how to behave when put to the test. Specifically, “42” exemplifies true character education in that it depicts Jackie Robinson persisting despite the racial prejudice of spectators, the media, and fellow athletes.

In Sociology, stereotypes are described as "pictures in our heads" that we do not acquire through personal experience. I believe that stereotypes are a mental tool that enforces racial segregation and self-hate. As well justification for dehumanizing minorities. Such as Black women are "Mammy", "Welfare Mothers", "Uneducated", " Inferior", and "Poor". White women are "Pure", "Desirable", "Affluent" and "Superior".

Negative stereotyping leads to racism as it causes racial groups to have bad impressions of others and feel they are of a higher rank. Agenda setting, specifically framing, also causes the negligence of one side of the story as a selection of an issue or story is made. By doing so, the audience will know what to think about and thus, the agenda setter is able to frame the audience’s mindsets and change their opinions. As a result, other important matters are neglected. It is also important to remain objective like the jury in ‘A Time to Kill’ as objectivity is a form of media practice.