By Nate Feldman
In 1945, Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford), the General Manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers decided to allow an African American to join his ball club, something unheard of at that time as African Americans did not play in Major League Baseball and their own separate league.
Rickey decided on Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman) of the Kansas City Monarchs. Jackie played the first couple of years with Montreal, the Dodger's minor league team, but by 1947 he was in the majors, the first time an African American played in the big leagues.
While playing baseball with the Dodgers, Jackie Robinson encountered extreme levels of racism. Fans booed him, mobs threatened him, hotels refused to let the Dodgers stay with them, and even players on his own team initially brought out a petition demanding that he not be permitted on the team.
However, through perseverance, excellence on the field, and an ability to withstand the most extreme levels of agitation, he gained the support of his teammates and went on to be Major League Baseball's rookie of the year in 1947.
The movie "42" beautifully recounts Jackie Robinson's story and highlights the extremely difficult work it took to breakdown color barriers in professional sports, something most people nowadays don't think about. I highly recommend this film for sports historians, history buffs, and people dreaming of a world where individuals are treated fairly and equally regardless of their backgrounds.
One scene that really stands out in the film is where Pee Wee Reese (Lucas Black), the Dodgers' star shortstop, puts his arm around Robinson while they are playing a game at Cincinnati, right across the river from Reese' home state of Kentucky. Reese did this to show solidarity with Robinson in spite of threats and harassment from the crowd. This heartwarming display of unity highlighted Robinson's teammates gradual acceptance and embrace of him as a fellow player.
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