Before Barry Bonds, before Reggie Jackson, before Hank Aaron, baseball stars had one undeniable trait in common: They were all white. In 1947, Jackie Robinson broke that barrier, striking a crucial blow for racial equality and changing the world of sports forever. I Never Had It Made is Robinson's story, an incisive account of what it took to become the first black man in history to play in the major leagues. I Never Had It Made recalls Robinson's early years and influences: his time at UCLA, his time in the military during World War II, when he defied Jim Crow laws and narrowly escaped court-martial; his years of frustration, on and off the field, with the Negro Leagues; and finally that fateful day when Branch Rickey of the Brooklyn Dodgers proposed what became known as the “Noble Experiment.” In his thesis the author talks about his grandparents being born into slavery and that times had changed, instead of physical slavery his parents were part of learned slavery. As a reviewer the author pointed out that even though slavery was illegal, black descendants were treated This is a short story about how his mother and her five children moved to California. Being a single parent, it was difficult for her to feed her children, so she had to get government assistance a job as a washer and ironer. However, she did not earn enough to support herself and her five children and went on welfare for relief. Whites still saw blacks as less dominant and treated them unevenly. “I was sweeping our sidewalk when a little girl nearby shouted at me, 'Nigger, nigger, nigger.'” As if he had grown up and lived his life in poverty, the author says. that he and others were starting to form a gang. Frustrations were built... middle of paper...id. He described that hard work and family can take you far in life you are hated and so on. It also made life easier for African American athletes After Jackie Robinson's performance in the MLB, basketball and football athletes were becoming stars. Bill Russell is the only NBA player with the most NBA championships. 11. Another criticism mentioned “It was about racism in baseball with some players and ideologies, but the way it's written sounds like 'just another day' instead of 'can you believe it?'” Also, Ricky, the GM of the Dodgers , had said that he wanted a player who didn't mind hearing racist comments. For Jackie to not take other people's comments seriously and continue to perform the way she has is more than surprising. For a player of his caliber to go through what he did trying to make a dream a reality is great.