The question
How did MLB integration change how white Americans viewed African Americans?
My thesis
MLB integration didn’t end racism, but it forced white America to recognize Black excellence on a national stage.
The presentation
What I found
Before 1947, Black players were some of the best in the country, but they played in the Negro Leagues and were kept out of Major League Baseball and mainstream recognition.
Baseball integrated before other major institutions. Jackie Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. President Truman’s Executive Order 9981 integrated the military in 1948. Brown v. Board of Education integrated schools in 1954.
Baseball was also the biggest stage in the country. MLB drew more than 20 million fans in 1947 and dominated the news. Robinson became nationally popular, and white fans wore “I’m Rooting for Jackie Robinson” pins.
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