Much is rightly made of the anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking Major League Baseball’s color barrier in 1947. And the effects on this country’s African American athletes continue to ripple throughout our society. As a result, Robinson’s legacy grows exponentially.
But what doesn’t get enough emphasis–ironically in an era of oxymoronic “student athletes” prepping for the pros in college basketball and football–is how well educated and well spoken Robinson was. He valued his college degree from UCLA, earned at a time when higher education was virtually off limits for most blacks. He was not afraid to sound educated, even at the risk of “sounding white.” He handled himself with class while mired among racists without any.
Among those who need to re-think Robinson’s legacy: Jalen Rose.
Rose, a former pro basketball player and one of the University of Michigan’s “Fab Five” in the 1990s, has recently–and controversially–criticized the Duke University basketball program of coach Mike Krzyzewski for recruiting “Uncle Toms.” That’s because Duke’s black players have more than game. They often have two parents, typically get their degree and are absent stereotypical “hood” traits.
Jackie Robinson, nobody’s Uncle Tom, would not be pleased.