Here are some of the most famous Jackie Robinson quotes that act as a beacon of hope and strength. Read and draw inspiration from some of his best quotes on life, courage, and racism.
Jackie Robinson (Jack Roosevelt Robinson) changed the scene and the way baseball was played in America after he charged through, and completely shattered, the color and racial segregation in the Major Baseball League (MBL).
He was the first African-American to play at the major leagues and did not stand for the injustice that was meted on the players of color by dividing them into teams that had only African-Americans in it. He challenged this practice and fought for equal rights of the African-American community in professional baseball.
As a result of his perseverance and the ability to stand up to the wrongs of society and these practices, he was able to turn baseball into a truly universal game. Of what he said and how he made an impact through the medium of the famous Jackie Robinson quotes, is what we will be looking into here.
Quotes by Jackie Robinson
Each Jackie Robinson quote is like a lesson on life, courage, valor, and a message and stand against racism.
"Above anything else, I hate to lose."
"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives."
"I'm not concerned with your liking or disliking me ... All I ask is that you respect me as a human being."
"Life is not a spectator sport. If you're going to spend your whole life in the grandstand just watching what goes on, in my opinion, you're wasting your life."
"There's not an American in this country free until every one of us is free."
"The way I figured it, I was even with baseball and baseball with me. The game had done much for me, and I had done much for it."
"How you played in yesterday's game is all that counts."
"Baseball is like a poker game. Nobody wants to quit when he's losing; nobody wants you to quit when you're ahead."
"I think it was one of the greatest times ever in the world to play baseball. Television was in its infancy. Breaking the color barrier."
"The right of every American to first-class citizenship is the most important issue of our time."
"The many of us who attain what we may and forget those who help us along the line we've got to remember that there are so many others to pull along the way. The farther they go, the further we all go."
"We're in a real crisis situation where many times people are being turned away at the door."
"discover the truth of today, and perhaps find the greatness of tomorrow."
"This ain't fun. But you watch me, I'll get it done."
"We have a social responsibility and we are held to a higher standard than other institutions."
"It kills me to lose. If I'm a troublemaker, and I don't think that my temper makes me one, then it's because I can't stand losing. That's the way I am about winning, all I ever wanted to do was finish first."
"But as I write these words now I cannot stand and sing the National Anthem. I have learned that I remain a black in a white world."
He became a national hero for what he did for the game and he stayed on and on with his famous quotes. Now that you've read through his uplifting quotes, you'll know just why he a national figure and why he still continues to inspire us.