Black History Scholarship Essay Preparation Guide
(Digital copy available at www.33trojans.org)
“Jackie is the first visible sign of change in black-white relations in the 20th century,” Dr. Zamoff said. “Plessy vs.
Ferguson in 1896 set the stage for Jim Crow and separate but equal. Robinson comes along a year before Truman issues
the executive order desegregating the military and seven years before the Brown vs. Board of Education [Supreme Court
case]. He is that important historically and for reasons that have nothing to do with baseball.”
Essay assignment:
Jackie Robinson is best known for the courageous role he played in the integration of Major League Baseball in 1947. In
fact, Jackie Robinson exhibited courage and humanitarianism on many fronts overcoming unforeseen barriers and
challenges which impacted our entire social fabric. What kinds of obstacles have you overcome? What values to live by
can young people learn and take away from a study of the life of Jackie Robinson?
Sub-questions:
What decisions made by a particular individual/group impacted the life of Jackie Robinson? Which decisions
impacted his life the most?
How did the historical context – the United States after Reconstruction – impact events in his life? What
aspects of the historical context had the greatest impact on his life?
Now it is time to synthesize – to pull together – the information you have learned about the people who
shaped events and the historical context that influenced the events.
1. Writing a thesis
a. Your job is to identify and explain values that led Jackie Robinson to break barriers. Complete
this sentence: There are many factors, decisions and aspects of American History that
contributed to Jackie Robinson breaking barriers in his life, but the most significant to impact
it were his values of . . .
2. Defend your thesis: I believe this because . . .
a. ________________ was a value that contributed to Jackie Robinson . . .
b. ________________ was a value that contributed to Jackie Robinson . . .
c. ________________ was a value that contributed to Jackie Robinson . . .
3. Write a Conclusion
What is the most important idea you learned from studying the life of Jackie Robinson? What have
you learned about breaking barriers? How can you connect what you wrote in the essay to something
from your life, community, or world today?
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