"42" - This is a brilliant movie - showing on HBO last few weeks and still on...


Selene

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For the first eight months of my life, I was too young to realize that Negro's were prohibited from playing baseball, the American game.

I'm glad that Mr. Branch Rickey and Mr. Jackie Robinson got that straightened out.

Harrison Ford [he's the white guy and owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers] and Chadwick Boseman [he's the black guy that broke the color barrier in baseball and was rookie of the year in 1947] deliver sustained powerful performances.

Nicole Beharie [she's the black gal and Jackie's wife Rachel], is perfect.

Andre Holland [he's another black guy, Wendell Harris, who is a reporter who shadows Jackie] is solid in support.

Great recreation of Ebbets Field and oh my the cars!!

Must see film.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0453562/

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Thanks. Didn't have time to catch this during its theatrical release.

By the way, HBO did a terrific documentary on the Dodgers, now available on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_Al28IM9QU

You are quite welcome, nor did I, however it was on my mental list.

I stumbled across it looking for a C-Span show with a 3 hour interview of Mark Levin which everyone should watch.

Thanks for the heads up on the Dodger vid.

As a "life long" Yankee psychotic that actually began at five (5) when my father took me to a night game at Yankee Stadium.

He pointed to CF and said, see that man out there in center field? That's Joe DiMaggio.

It was over at that point.

A...

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I can't remember if I read a bio or an autobiography of Jackie but it was long enough ago that I was astounded at his bravery, and outspokenness. "Downton Abbey" on public TV has an American black jazz singer around the 1920's in England who may love a white aristocratic woman. He is not prejudiced, and nor is she but the director shows the reaction of white people, in the background, in a restaurant. One older British gentleman is shown to subtly portray the reaction, "Good God! That is very, very wrong." So far the Jazz singer has rarely been confronted with overt prejudice by the English. Last week . . . well I won't give any more away.

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Although I grew up in Bklyn I never went to Ebbets Field. We had Mantle & Co. + Mays & Co. then. It was Yankee Stadium my father took me to. He bled & worshipped the Yankee pinstripes.

Did see Gil Hodges in my neighborhood once, visiting relatives I believe. I must have been in my early teens & I remember noticing how big his hands were.

That was an incredible era in baseball.

I saw 42 and enjoyed it immensely.

I highly recommend Ken Burns' "Baseball" documentary, which I first saw on laserdisc. The vintage footage is superb.

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  • 1 year later...

This "Letters of Note" website is a treasure trove!

http://www.lettersofnote.com/2009/09/17-million-negroes-cannot-wait-for.html

Jackie Robinson's letter to Ike and Ike's

(Source: National Archives; Image: Jackie Robinson, via Collider.)

Transcript

May 13, 1958

The President
The White House
Washington, D.C.

My dear Mr. President:

I was sitting in the audience at the Summit Meeting of Negro Leaders yesterday when you said we must have patience. On hearing you say this, I felt like standing up and saying, 'Oh no! Not again.'

I respectfully remind you sir, that we have been the most patient of all people. When you said we must have self-respect, I wondered how we could have self-respect and remain patient considering the treatment accorded us through the years.

17 million Negroes cannot do as you suggest and wait for the hearts of men to change. We want to enjoy now the rights that we feel we are entitled to as Americans. This we cannot do unless we pursue aggressively goals which all other Americans achieved over 150 years ago.

As the chief executive of our nation, I respectfully suggest that you unwittingly crush the spirit of freedom in Negroes by constantly urging forbearance and give hope to those pro-segregation leaders like Governor Faubus who would take from us even those freedoms we now enjoy. Your own experience with Governor Faubus is proof enough that forbearance and not eventual integration is the goal the pro-segregation leaders seek.

In my view, an unequivocal statement backed up by action such as you demonstrated you could take last fall in dealing with Governor Faubus if it became necessary, would let it be known that America is determined to provide—in the near future—for Negroes—the freedoms we are entitled to under the constitution.

Respectfully yours,

(Signed)

Jackie Robinson

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