Jackie Robinson Quotes To Inspire You
Jackie Robinson’s brilliance on the baseball pitch coupled with his quest for the liberation of his fellow African Americans from the clutches of racial discrimination has marked him out as an Icon, a legend, and an inspiration to the black society of his generation and indeed, of every age from then.
Born in January 1919 in Cairo, Georgia, Jackie Robinson rose to become the first African American to break the baseball color line and played in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era, bagging series of awards in his ten-year career at the MLB. Ultimately, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. More than that, he has a day set out to honor him. Every April 15th is known as Jackie Robinson’s Day.
Below we bring you all the important quotes from Jackie Robinson that highlight some of his perception of politics, baseball, and life in general.
Jackie Robinson quotes
“Above everything else, I hate to lose.”
“Life is not a spectator sport. If you’re going to spend your whole life in the grandstand just watching what goes on, in my opinion, you’re wasting your life.”
“I think if we go back and check our record, the Negro has proven beyond a doubt that we have been more than patient in seeking our rights as American citizens.”
“I never cared about acceptance as much as I cared about respect.”
“The most luxurious possession, the richest treasure anybody has is his personal dignity.”
“I’m not concerned with your liking or disliking me. All I ask is that you respect me as a human being.”
“It would make everything I worked for meaningless if baseball is integrated but political parties were segregated.”
David Foster Wallace quotes
“My problem was my inability to spend much time at home. I thought my family was secure, so I went running around every place else. I guess I had more of an effect on other people’s kids than I did on my own.”
“I want everybody to understand that I am an American Negro first before I am a member of any political party.”
“I cannot possibly believe that I have it made while so many black brothers and sisters are hungry, inadequately housed, insufficiently clothed, denied their dignity as they live in slums or barely exist on welfare.”
“A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.”
“I don’t like needing anyone for anything.”
“There is not an American in this country free until every one of us is free.”
“I don’t let my mouth say nothin’ my head can’t stand.”
“I’m grateful for all the breaks and honors and opportunities I’ve had, but I always believe I won’t have it made until the humblest black kid in the most remote backwoods of America has it made.”
“How you played in yesterday’s game is all that counts.”
“It kills me to lose. If I’m a troublemaker, I don’t think that my temper makes me one, then it’s because I can’t stand losing. That the way I am about winning, all I ever wanted to do was finish first.”
Image source: Wikipedia