Writing Frame Form
1. Who is your audience—in other words, who are you trying to write to? Be
SPECIFIC! Don’t just say “general audience.”
My targeted audience will be prospect universities and prospect employers
2. What is your purpose—in other words, what effect do you want to have on your
reader?
Have them realize that even though Jackie Robinson was a very proficient, and talented
baseball player one of his greatest impacts to Black American history was, contradicting
the common belief that it was breaking the color barrier in the Major Leagues of
Baseball, his post-baseball career activism such as his work with the NAACP, the use of
his position as a prominent executive of the Chock Full o'Nuts Corporation to continue
his advocacy for social justice and recognition that his baseball career defined him but his
contributions outside baseball defined America.
3. What genre are you writing in? What are some of the conventions of this genre
that might be important to consider as you begin your writing process?
This is an argumentative Essay.
4. How is your topic relevant to your audience NOW in the time period in which
you’re writing?
Because, the thought system of white supremacy, which infers that people of color are
incompetent compared to whites is ingrained in our society.
5. Given your audience and purpose, what kinds of evidence/support will you
need/use to develop your purpose convincingly for your audience?
Different to engage with my audience
6. How will you use YOUR own voice in this piece of writing? Why is YOUR voice
important in this piece of writing?
It would be important for having logical support for my claim. My voice is also
important because every person interprets words and therefore ideas differently, which
makes my view and how I grasped with the issue unique.
Manuel Mejia
WR 122_H
Sarah Luisah
Racial Supremacy
Civil rights leaders are important figures in the advancement and application of
civil freedom and the expansion of personal liberties. For instance, Jackie Robinson, a
highly celebrated civil rights figure, is often remembered for breaking the color barrier in
the Major League Baseball (MLB). While Jackie Robinson was a very proficient and
talented baseball player, I think some of his greatest impacts on Black-American history
were, contrary to common belief, after his baseball career. In my opinion, Robinson’s
impact on Black-American history was not his denouncing perspective, but the way in
which he made it public, which was the true genius. Robinson’s work with the National
Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the use of his position
as a prominent executive of the Chock Full o'Nuts Corporation to continue his advocacy
for social justice was a crucial first step to promote the establishment of true equal rights.
Robinson used his fame and recognition to make the Black-American view, a view that
challenged most mentalities the public held at the time. While Robinson did in fact need
to be a recognized figure in order to get attention from the public, it was what and he did
with that attention that truly defined America. Robinson had always been very physically
accomplished and there was absolutely no one who could convince him that he would be
an unqualified competitor against anyone. This mentality drove him to see himself, as he
was a human, equal to other humans, careless of color. Robinson’s view was very
evolved, however indifferent to the world’s despite his astonishing accomplishments and
acts of courage to defend his right to form part of the MLB, which led him to be widely
known. The fact that he was a very well known public figure made it easy for him to give
his views on civil rights, which was a very hard task on average for people of color.
Robinson’s fame and accomplishments as a baseball player were some of the things that
made him unique, but it was his views that made an impact. An impact, which propelled
the civil rights movement and made it seem a reasonable and reachable movement.
Jackie Robinson is usually admired for his athletic endeavors and most of what is
recorded or remembered about him are his accomplishments as a baseball player. In the
article, “Jackie Robinson” by Rick Swaine, Jackie Robinson’s life is briefly summarized
Jackie Robinson's life and accomplishments as a baseball player. Swaine starts by
claiming that like Babe Ruth, Robinson changed baseball, however, through baseball,
only Jackie change America. He later talks about his baseball stats, which were not very
impressive considering him being in the hall of fame. This however, was not due to poor
performance, but rather his short baseball career. Robinson’s baseball career is described
as short, because he started at the age of twenty-eight, which is very old for a rookie.
Nevertheless, Robinson is very well remembered for that short part of his life. After,
explaining what the statistics meant in the amount Robinson played, Swaine then said “It
was running the bases, however, where Robinson’s star shined brightest,” and from there
on described how talented Jackie was, as a player, and how this talent helped him break
the color barrier and as Swaine said “the integration movement in general had picked up
steam during World War II as black American soldiers fought and died beside whites,”
which basically was meant for us to infer that the United States would be especially hard,
since some people would already be reluctant due to the similarity of the issue, when it
came to black and white males fighting along each other’s side, or, in this case, being
teammates. However, Robinson was later recognized as a great player both by fans and
by the majority of the MLB, to which instance Swaine comments, “In fact, baseball’s
“Great Experiment” was a huge success.” A success indeed, I agree, but for a different
reason. Jackie Robinson was, at the time seen as today remembered as the nice young
man who forgave all the insults by the many who were utterly insulted with Branch
Rickie’s “great experiment” of breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball.
Anyhow, when I say I consider it a huge success as well I say it, since this experience
helped Jackie’s experience some of the worst sides of racism. Robinson had experienced
much racism by the time his short career would be over, but would have learned much
from this experience. My point being Robinson’s baseball career defined Robinson,
nevertheless Robinson’s post-baseball activism defined America. When Jackie Robinson
wrote to historical figures about controversial topics such as, black power, The Vietnam
War and divisions between The Civil Rights Movement many of them, Jackie’s
recipients, were influenced or inspired by Robinson’s advice. As Michael G. Long
suggest in his Introduction to the book, “First Class Citizenship: The Civil Rights Letters
of Jackie Robinson,” “ The only thing mightier than a bat in his right hand was a
ballpoint pen,” which in someway depicts part of the rage about racism Robinson had
long held. Swaine later shares his observation that Robinson, a fervent patriot, as he calls
him was committed to using his celebrity status and considerable resources to overcome
the racial divide. On September 19, 1966 Jackie Robinson wrote a letter to Governor
Rockefeller mentioning the utter importance of being cautious when using the expression
“attaboy,” since many would think of it as the traditional word in which many the word
“boy” addressed grown people of color and more specifically black men. Consequently,
on September 23, 1966 Governor Rockefeller responded with a kind thank you and the
recognition of how the word might be misinterpreted thus abstaining from using it.
Robinson’s advice could have very much changed the history of America by informing
Governor Rockefeller of what might have been a terrible misunderstanding.
In an interview I had with Jim Garcia, an ethnic and Chicano studies professor at
Lane Community College it was mentioned how it is of utter importance that the quote,
which to my best English translates to “Among individuals, as in nations, the right to
other’s respect, is peace,” by Benito Juarez, is taken seriously. The fact that the civil
rights movement could not be peaceful is because white supremacists would recourse to
anything before respecting Black Americans’ rights, claimed Professor Garcia. He
believes the thought system of white supremacy, which infers that people of color are
incompetent compared to whites, is ingrained in our society. Robinson challenged this
unconscious thought system when he won awards when directly competing against other
MLB white players, and by challenging and beating these views he acquired fame which
he later used to show that all humans regardless of race have equal potentials. Robinson’s
true brilliance was acquiring fame by challenging supremacy through baseball and then
using that fame to make his views on social justice well known, which was critical,
because at this time the white point of view was the only one which was publicly
advertised asserted Professor Garcia in our interview. Professor Garcia explained how it
is that even today many people do not accept our president, Barack Obama, as so,
because of the simple that his skin tone is not white anywhere close to it, which speaks
very bad of our society. Robinson was a very courageous young man who not only took it
upon himself to resist reacting to the dehumanizing treatment he was given by fans,
teammates and other fellow players but also for having the courage to speak up when he
knew his activist views would be heard, views that questioned this “engrained”
supremacy.
Conclusively, Jackie Robinson has always been described as a sports figure, or a
“good Samaritan” who sacrificed his dignity to break the color barrier in the MLB and to
some extent, that is true. Jackie Robinson’s baseball career impacted Black American
movements by supporting the idea that black men were capable of competing against
white men. Nevertheless, it is logical to think that his career as a businessman, and civil
rights activist had a greater impact because when in the MLB he was not allowed to
respond to any racist acts. Jackie’s talent accumulated fame, and he later used it to have
people listen to him. After his baseball career was over he was in liberated to express his
view and by doing so he influenced and inspired not only black men all over America,
but more specifically black leader to which his advice and help, in some cases, with
events meant the difference of whether they made they’re own impact. In this way,
Robinson not only made his impact but many made many other possible by implementing
how he had learned to work with and against the system, meaning he knew how things
might be interpreted and when a rally or march was necessary, or of significance. Jackie
learned that sometimes many people would and other many more would not be willing to
cooperate with his cause and that was when he had to alter the “peace.” This world
desired peace, which according to Benito Juarez will not prevail unless other’s rights
were respected.
Works cited
Swayne, Rick. "Jackie Robinson." Society for American Baseball Research. N.p., n.d.
Web. 29 Apr. 2014.
Robinson, Jackie, and Michael G. Long. First Class Citizenship: The Civil Rights Letters
of Jackie Robinson. New York: Times, 2007. Print.
García, Jim. Personal interview. 14 Apr. 2014.