“Impressively researched” are the words that The New York Times used to describe a book about Jackie Robinson that is co-written by Dr. Yohuru Williams, distinguished history professor and founding director of the Racial Justice Initiative at St. Thomas. The New York Times reviewed Williams' book Call Him Jack: The Story of Jackie Robinson, Black Freedom Fighter, co-written by Michael G. Long.
From the article:
The title of the book highlights the chasm between the real-life Jack Robinson and the Jackie Robinson narrative often celebrated in schools. In the buildup to Robinson’s first appearance in a major-league game, he felt pressured to present himself in a way that would put people at ease: “He would have to be ‘Jackie,’ a nonthreatening Black man who would be acceptable to the Dodgers, Major League Baseball and the country.”
“Jackie,” the authors assert, was a persona Robinson wore, one that white America was more likely to embrace. Underneath this persona, Robinson was a “relentless and uncompromising Black freedom fighter.”
