The Blatant Disrespect of a Baseball Legend
Ways that the Trump administration discredited Jackie Robinson's accomplishments and disrespected his memory
Just a fair warning that I'm going to go on a bit of a rant. Recently, I ran into a story online that I wanted to talk about. As a baseball fan, I couldn't let what I'm about to say go. It was about an article mentioning the late, great Jackie Robinson's time in the Army deleted from the Department of Defense's website. In case you're not up to speed about what's behind this, President Trump signed an executive order to purge DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) programs from the U.S. Government. This was one of his campaign promises. That means erasing any mention of Black, Indigenous, and LGBTQ+ figures who came before us. When asked for the reason behind this move, Pentagon press secretary John Ullyot stated it was done to stop what he called "Woke cultural Marxism." The Pentagon claimed that everyone at the Defense Department respected Jackie Robinson, which I didn't buy one bit. If they truly respected him, the article about him serving in the Army wouldn't have been deleted. This was 100% a racially motivated move on their part.
When I first heard about this, it made me so angry and I took it very personally. I'm not a Dodgers fan and as much as they've frustrated and irritated me during the offseason, in this situation, I have to come to their defense when it comes to Jackie Robinson. Jackie Robinson was and will always be one of my favorite baseball idols. He was more than just a baseball player. He was a pioneer and will forever be a cultural icon. The Trump administration not acknowledging the perseverance and courage Jackie Robinson displayed was both disrespectful and demeaning. His accomplishments and achievements should be celebrated, not punished. This was a man who, despite facing racism, he never gave up on his dream of playing baseball for a Major League team. President Trump doesn't care about black people, because he has a long history of making racist remarks about people like me and other minorities for years. The same racism Jackie Robinson faced decades ago is the same racism that this administration is displaying towards him today. Not only that, it was also a form of censorship. Robinson was born in 1919, meaning that as of January 2025, he would've turned 106 years old. Over five decades since his passing, this administration has defamed and disrespected his legacy by making this latest move. That is a huge slap in the face to Dodgers fans, baseball fans, the Dodgers organization, his two surviving children, grandchildren, and most importantly, his widow. I can imagine how Mrs. Robinson would feel right now about Trump disrespecting her late husband's legacy. They were married for almost 30 years and had three children. Unfortunately, one of them was tragically killed in a car accident in 1971. She founded The Jackie Robinson Foundation, which awards scholarships to minority youths for higher education and also preserving her late husband's legacy.
The reasons why I had to come to Jackie Robinson's defense is because I refuse to stay quiet about the things I believe in. If this is your first time reading my stories on Vocal, you should know that I condemn any form of discrimination and hate, since this manchild of a President has repeatedly refused to do so in the past. Also, as a black gay man, I support the rights of black people, LGBTQ+ individuals, the rights of women, and other minorities who have been discriminated against. I'm a progressive individual who's not afraid to speak up for those who are unable to defend or speak up for themselves. If that makes me woke in your delusional mind, then so be it. However, I refuse to let an administration bully and disparage one of the greatest players who have played the game. They say that they're fighting against the "woke agenda", but they won't address issues that are affecting us, the American people, such as the high cost of living, high grocery prices, and expensive medical care. I felt like this recent move of erasing an article about Jackie Robinson and this DEI purge was a distraction from real issues that affect us daily. This was also racially motivated, as I've stated earlier. Shame on this administration for dehumanizing and disrespecting his legacy. They owe Dodgers fans, their organization, and Jackie Robinson's family an apology. As you can tell by my tone throughout this story, I'm pissed off and they are focusing on meaningless and harmless bullshit that has absolutely nothing to do with them. Constantly wasting time on culture wars and eliminating wokeness should be the least of their problems. Those are very petty and riduculous things to get so worked up over. Let people live their lives as they please and leave them alone. Stop looking for problems in everything and stop searching for connections that aren't there. Finally, stop being so hypocritical.
Jackie Robinson deserves the respect and recognition for making a difference in Major League Baseball. As a creator on Vocal, I'm going to share some of his career highlights, achievements, and more. I have news for President Trump and his administration: Black history is part of American history.
Jackie Robinson's career with the Brooklyn (now Los Angeles) Dodgers
•6-time All-Star
•NL MVP (1949)
•Rookie of the Year (1947)
•World Series Champion (1955)
Robinson was inducted to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962, 10 years before his 1972 death. His number 42 was retired by the Dodgers and all 30 MLB teams in 1997. Before all this occurred, he broke the color barrier in 1947, which was the same year as his Major League debut. The color barrier previously barred African American players from playing in the Major and Minor Leagues. Had Jackie Robinson never broken the color barrier, players such as Ichiro, Andrew McCutchen, Mookie Betts, and Shohei Ohtani wouldn't exist today. He paved the way for other black players and other minorities to play in the Majors.
On April 15, 2004, Major League Baseball adopted Jackie Robinson Day. It's a day when players from all 30 teams wear the number 42 to celebrate the life a legendary player who overcame adversity and made a tremendous impact on the game. Over 20 years later, this tradition is still going strong. I hope this generation and the generation after that will learn more about Jackie Robinson's life and career and the reasons why he meant so much to millions of people. I'm a former cosplayer and last year, I went as Jackie Robinson to pay homage to a Dodgers legend who made a difference and stood up for what he believed in. I wear the number 42, because like I've said earlier this story, he was a pioneer and a pop culture icon. His story needs to be told in schools, because he was a hero to many people.
To President Trump and his administration: I hope you use this as a learning experience and also respect Jackie Robinson's legacy and memory. Us baseball fans will never tolerate that kind of slander about someone who's still relevant today. I'll say this one last time: Black history is part of American history.
I'm pleased to report that there's a bit of a happy ending to this administration's blunder.
One day after the Department of Defense deleted the article mentioning Jackie Robinson's time in the Army, it's now back on their website. I'll have a link to that article down below. This is why a sitting President and his administration should never mess with a legend or disrespect their memory. I'll always speak up for people who have been discriminated against. It's an action I'll never apologize for.
About the Creator
Mark Wesley Pritchard
You can call me Wesley. Former cosplayer, retro gaming fanatic, die-hard Texas Rangers fan, and nostalgic freak. Need I say more?
Threads: @misterwesleysworld
Instagram: @misterwesleysworld
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