Today Negroes play on every big
â
Today, Negroes play on every big league club
and in every minor league.
With millions of other Negroes in other walks of life,
we are willing to stand up and be counted for what we believe in.
In baseball or out,
we are no longer willing to wait until Judgment Day for equality
we want it here on earth as well as in Heaven.
â
Meaning
This quote means black Americans were no longer willing to wait passively for equality in some distant future. Justice must be demanded in real life, not postponed to heaven.
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 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.
â When I am playing baseball, I give it all that I have on the ball field. When the ball game is over, I certainly don't take it home. My little girl who is sitting out there wouldn't know the difference between a third strike and a foul ball. We don't talk about baseball at home. â
This quote means Robinson gave everything to his profession but refused to let it consume his home life. Work stayed on the field, while family remained protected.
â Pop flies, in a sense, are just a diversion for a second baseman. Grounders are his stock trade. â
This quote means routine ground balls, not spectacular plays, are the real daily work of a second baseman. Mastery comes from ordinary duties.