Lisa Desatnik
Jackie Robinson And His Gift To Our World
Today, at Greater American Ballpark and every other major league ballpark across the nation, in homes and businesses, in schools…and in movie theatres thousands will pay a tribute to a humanitarian, a father, a baseball legend, a hero.
Sixty-six years ago, when the civil rights bill was but a distant dream, a young man with unbridled talent stepped onto the field wearing a Brooklyn Dodgers jersey and the number 42 embellished on his back.
That man was Jackie Robinson, a former varsity athlete lettered in four sports at UCLA and a former second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He also, as we all know, happened to have been African American. And on that historic day in the office of a bold businessman, Jackie courageously stepped forward to change history books forever when he signed to become the first black athlete to play major league baseball.
All around him people were separated by the color of their skin – in schools, the military, hotels, restaurants, buses, and yes, even the entrances to ball parks. Cruel racial (and religious) antagonism ran deep.
Jackie and Brooklyn Dodgers President Branch Rickey knew if they were to be successful in integrating baseball; it had to be with dignity not fists.
Jackie: “You want a player who doesn’t have the guts to fight back?”
Branch: “No, I want a player who has the guts NOT to fight back.”
“We win if we convince the world of two things – that you are a fine gentleman and a great baseball player,” Branch told the new rookie.
Jackie’s moral compass was tested as no man should ever have to be tested. Racial epithets pelted him on and off the field. Fellow Dodgers signed a petition to have him kicked off the team. He received death threats. The manager of the Philadelphia Phillies heckled him with the N-word for five unrelenting minutes (it may have been longer in real life). Even in Cincinnati’s own Crosley Field, the stands erupted in boos and jeers as Jackie stepped onto the field.
Through it all, he stood tall. Jackie proved to the world that he was a fine gentleman AND a great baseball player. And by Branch’s definition – I’d say he resoundedly won.
In 1997, under the direction of Commissioner Bud Selig, Robinson’s No. 42 was retired across all of Major League Baseball in an unprecedented tribute. However, today and every April 15, baseball players across the country will all be wearing his number in his memory and his honor for what he has given the game – and what he has given the world.
Stories like that of Jackie are so important for us to know and talk about. They are important lessons and reminders of what we as neighbors, friends, and co-workers must always remember. Our diversity is a gift that brings us different perspectives and opens our eyes to new opportunities. And the really beautiful thing is that, if you look deeper, you will find that we all share the most basic of needs – the need to be valued, included and loved.
Cincinnati Nonprofit Reinforcing Values Of Over-the-Rhine Students
What do Cleophis Carsin, Mark Goodly, and Nawhiah Green have in common?
Well, for starters, they are all eighth graders at St. Francis Seraph, a Catholic Inner-City School in Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine. They are also excelling in academics and in life amidst many every day challenges.
And they are the first three students selected to participate in a brand new Cincinnati nonprofit, Against the Grain Scholars, which is all about building up the foundations of Over-the-Rhine students with great potential.
Teacher Michael Patrick Farrell Jr. started the organization at the end of 2012 as a way of reinforcing the strong character values of students who are excelling in Over-the-Rhine schools.
“It is our belief that by providing mentoring and facilitating volunteer opportunities from eighth grade through high school that these exceptional students will continue on their path and recognize their full potential as the true leaders, heroes, and positive role models of their communities. Long-term, it is our hope that the ATG Scholars will “make it,” choose altruism over selfishness, and use their attributes to inspire a future generation to follow in their footsteps,” he stated on the organization’s website.
ATG Scholars meets two Saturdays per month. The first meeting of the month is a planning and reflection day. The second meeting of each month is our volunteer outing day.
Do you have some time to give? ATG is currently looking for volunteers and mentors. Please visit their website to learn more.
Bill and Melinda Gates, and Warren Buffet, Created Giving Pledge
Do you know about the Giving Pledge? I saw on Forbes.com that Bill Gates and wife Melinda, together with Warren Buffett, came up with the idea to get America’s wealthiest families to give away at least 50% of their wealth during their lifetimes, or upon their deaths, and write a letter explaining why. Since they launched the effort in June 2010, 91 people have signed on.
Some examples:
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has given away $2.4 billion. He has supported anti-tobacco efforts worldwide, clean air programs, education, government improvement, and the arts.
Carl Icahn, billionaire investor and chairman of Icahn Enterprises, has founded three charter schools in the South Bronx; its students have performed significantly better on the New York language and arts exams than the neighborhood average. His Icahn House in the Bronx houses homeless pregnant women and single women with children; he also supports a scholarship program at Choate.
The Handshake That Changed Society
From CBS Evening News…In 1963, an unwritten law suggested no college team from Mississippi could play against blacks. But Mississippi State wanted to prove they could play against the best. And so they did. Dean Reynolds speaks to Jerry Harkness about what he remembers most about a game that changed society.
Cincinnati Community ToolBank Is Collecting For Nonprofits
Got Tools? The nonprofit Cincinnati Community ToolBank will be hosting its first Tool Drive this year to collect more tools for its member agencies to use during their projects. More tools mean more volunteers are enabled to make Cincinnati a better place for all of us to live! They need your help to make it a success!
The tool drive will to be held from Saturday, May 25 to Sunday, May 26, 2013.
During this time, anyone can drop off their gently used or new tools to four Home Depot locations (Pleasant Ridge, Beechmont Avenue, Crescent Springs KY, and Western Hills) around the Cincinnati area. These tools will then be taken to the ToolBank and added to its inventory for use by non-profit organizations in community projects around Cincinnati. The ToolBank will also be accepting cash donations.
The Cincinnati Community ToolBank offers an inventory of tools—shovels, rakes, drills and so much more—to help nonprofit organizations, religious and educational institutions, community groups and their volunteers increase their impact.