Whenever the coined phrase "America's favorite pastime" comes up, there is rarely an American who does not immediately imagine green grass, red dirt, and white lines constituting the image of a baseball field. Baseball has been an integral part of American culture for decades, and the first half of the 1900s was certainly no exception. Another event that occurred during this time was the seemingly endless struggle of African Americans to gain rights that had long been denied to them. Most people wouldn't immediately connect the two events to anything other than their time, but the civil rights movement and baseball were closely linked through Jackie Robinson and other players like him. Jackie Robinson, the first African American to play major league baseball, played a crucial role in the civil rights movement as he incorporated one of the most memorable pasts in American history, using respect, the attention and recognition found in this sport for making an impact on behalf of all African Americans. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned"?Get the original essay Baseball was a major player in the civil rights movement due to its immense popularity at the time, with its "don't" appeal. not limited to a single racial group. (73). Additionally, when it came to baseball, fans were "primarily concerned with excellence of performance...rather than the color, race, or creed of the performer" (73) With these ideals in play, Robinson was able to use his talent to make a name for himself in the world of baseball. As he began to be known for his performances in the sport, he gained popularity in America. James A. Mannix was a man who began to support Robinson, saying: "The balls that you [Robinson] threw went far and high and some narrow-minded people stuck their necks out for once and. saw the light" (101). For Robinson, this newfound baseball fame was simply a way for him to get his foot in the door of racism and inequality for African Americans, paving the way for him to go on and do well more. Baseball was only the first area that Robinson conquered when it came to racism and civil rights. Once the country knew his name and recognized him, he could take a stand against the whole problem, express his beliefs and fight to make things happen. He wrote articles for newspapers, saying how much he hated the fact that "playing baseball is one thing and the color of a man's skin is another" (79). Although Robinson was happy that baseball had taken such a big step forward in terms of integration, he called for it to go further, saying, "As long as the fans approve, we will continue to progress, until we were the rest of the way to eliminating Jim Crow from American sports” (113). Robinson wrote letters to presidents, one to Dwight D. Eisenhower, explaining that African Americans "have been the most patient of all" (116) and that they were tired of being constantly told to keep it up. do, one to John F. Kennedy, urging him to take action to protect Martin Luther King, Jr. from being killed like many who take a stand against segregation, saying that "the world cannot afford to losing it to the whims of homicidal maniacs” (118), and another to Lyndon B. Johnson, asking him to “continue to press for justice for all Americans” and telling him in conclusion: “..