Integration at Second Base

A new biography revealing the remarkable story of Jackie Robinson as a civil rights crusader

Jackie Robinson is one of the most enduring icons of the great American pastime--the man who broke the color barrier in baseball, opening the door for his fellow professionals and allowing rising generations to dream of fame and glory on the diamond. But for number 42, playing for the Dodgers was just a beginning. As Peter Eisenstadt reveals in this vital new biography, Robinson's trailblazing was politically informed and consciously connected to a vision of integration and full Black citizenship.

Integration was one of the most important social and political goals of the mid-twentieth century, and yet it has also been one of the most misunderstood. The ability to enter previously all-white institutions such as major league baseball was a part of the struggle, but isolated cases could too easily appear as triumphs when they were in reality instances of mere tokenism or, worse, novelty. This book explores the political and spiritual roots of Jackie Robinson's quest for Black citizenship from his boyhood in Pasadena, to his athletic career, through his work as a business executive, civil rights leader, columnist and political advocate, and why, despite his great success, at the end of his life he was convinced that he "never had it made."