April 15, 1947

42. We all know who wore the number. We all know what he endured. We know the greatness he achieved. But this rant is not about how great he was it’s about what he meant to this country. When he integrated baseball on April 15, 1947 he began a process of making two separate groups one. I know we have far to go but it was the next year Truman integrated the military. This simple act of a black player setting foot in a game which he was once not permitted any minorities besides ones who worked the ground or sold concessions, set in motion the civil rights movement. One has to wonder whether if there even would be a move towards integration, but more of a stronger push for separation between blacks and whites in America. The idea of integration is very difficult concept for the majority of the world’s countries. Really the only other major instances of them are South Africa (who have sustained heavy criticism for their recent policies) and to a lesser extent Australia. My question is where are the Jackie Robinsons for the countries like Rwanda or the Israel and Palestine or Iraq. Our unique situation was brought on in the worst way possible but because of true visionaries like Jackie Robinson, Branch Rickey, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. we gained a beautiful journey to amalgam. To truly understand what this Melting Pot has done, one has to recognize the failures of unification; even Gandhi failed. The President of South Africa Thabo Mbeki who as helped to stop conflicts across Africa though he has gotten substantial bashing for his ineffective diplomacy with Zimbabwe. So today or when you read this remember the part that 42 played in America and how difficult it was just how rare it is.