On April 15, 1947 Jackie Robinson became the first African American to play Major League Baseball in the modern era. He would later become the first African American named a vice president at a fortune 500 company; serve as an adviser to politicians; start a bank and housing development company; and he was a key figure in advancing equal opportunity and first-class citizenship for all Americans during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 60s. According to the Jackie Robinson foundation, Robinson’s name has become synonymous with breaking barriers.
“I am a huge baseball fan and have been since I was 10- years- old,” president of the teacher’s union and physics teacher Jason Geis said. “I also love baseball history and that love of baseball history came from my father buying me a game called Stat-O-Matic Baseball that included the ‘greatest players ever’. This was 1982, and that made me want to learn about those players from the ‘old days.’ In the past, when I talked about the physics of stealing bases in that class, I showed a clip of Jackie Robinson stealing home in the World Series. I asked students about him, and some did not really know much about him, and I got the impression that students did not realize how big a deal it was. That started the whole process.”
Geis is part of the high school equity and inclusion squad.
The squad looks for ways to make everyone feel welcome and to recognize and celebrate the diversity of the schools.
Robinson was a well known African American baseball player who was born in Cairo, Georgia. In 1919, Robinson moved with his family to Pasadena, California, where he thrived despite facing racial and economic challenges. He later became a leader during the Civil Rights Movement and used his publicity as a way to further human rights.
“I find his class pretty easy. I feel I apply myself more in there because I like the class more than my other core classes,” junior Gianna Huber said. “The class is easy to enjoy because we do a lot of labs, and he makes the class enjoyable.”
Robinson retired from baseball in 1957. Robison played for the Dodgers his jersey number was 42 which was later retired June 4, 1972
“I hope that students realize how amazing it was that this occurred and that he had the strength to persevere,” Geis said. “This is a good sign of our current society that many do not realize what an achievement it was or the shameful history prior to April 15, 1947. Now if you watch a baseball game, you see all kinds of diversity. For some, I do not think they realize it was not always like that. I hope they will see how far we have come but also realize that change just doesn’t happen; it takes brave pioneers.”
In order to celebrate, Geis came up with lesson plans for each department in the building.
“Recognizing Jackie Robinson is less about memorizing batting averages and more about acknowledging a pivotal architect of the American Civil Rights Movement,” American Studies, African American History and Teen Law teacher Maniacs adviser Carolyn Kline said. “While he operated on a baseball diamond, his impact fundamentally reshaped the social and professional landscape of the United States.”
