I speak to you only as an American
â
I speak to you only as an American
who happens to be an American Negro
and one who is proud of that heritage.
We ask for nothing special.
We ask only that we be permitted to compete on an even basis,
and if we are not worthy,
then the competition shall, per se, eliminate us.
â
Meaning
This quote means black Americans were not asking for favors, only an equal chance to compete fairly and be judged on merit. Equality is not special treatment.
About Author
Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson was an American baseball player and civil rights activist, famously breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball. His quotes often reflect courage, determination, and equality. Robinson inspires athletes, activists, and leaders to challenge injustice, persevere against adversity, and make a lasting impact in sports and society.
Related Quotes
â 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. â
This quote means life is meant for active participation, not passive watching. Standing aside from experience is a waste of living.
â 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. â
This quote means patriotic rituals ring hollow when a person is still denied equality in his own country. It exposes the conflict between national ideals and racial injustice.
â I felt unhappy and trapped. If I left baseball, where could I go, what could I do to earn enough money to help my mother and to marry Rachel? The solution to my problem was only days away in the hands of a tough, shrewd, courageous man called Branch Rickey, the president of the Brooklyn Dodgers. â
This quote means Robinson felt trapped between economic need and limited opportunity until Branch Rickey opened a path forward. It marks the moment hope entered a closed future.