Jackie Robinson and the American Dilemma (Library of American Biography)
Library of American Biography Longman is proud to publish theLibrary of American Biographyseries, offering ideal reading for introductory and upper-level courses in American history. These concise biographies focus on individuals whose actions and ideas greatly influenced American history and relate the lives of the subjects to the issues and events of their times. Under series editor Mark C. Carnes, theLibrary of American Biographyseries is being revised and updated with today’s students in mind. All volumes are offered at a lower price, and each new volume includes Study and Discussion Questions, which encourage readers to reflect on the role of the profiled individual in shaping American history.  Not only did Jackie Robinson (1919—1973) break the color barrier in baseball, paving the way for the integration of all professional American sports, he helped to bring the American public face-to-face with a dilemma that has plagued the nation throughout its history: the disjuncture between the American Creed of liberty and equality, on the one hand, and the sad reality of racial prejudice, segregation, discrimination, and a general failure to measure up to the nation’s ideals, on the other. FeaturesAuthor John R.M. Wilson examines Robinson’s life and career within the context of the fight for racial equality and integration and shows how pride, patience, and a profound sense of purpose converged to make Robinson the ideal candidate for the role he played as a pioneer in the struggle to level the playing field for all Americans.The text highlights the triumphs and pitfalls of Robinson’s groundbreaking baseball career, leading students on a journey through the bleak landscape of American race relations in the mid twentieth century, and follows the sports icon throughout his post-baseball career as he dabbles in politics and becomes a major player in the civil rights struggles of the late 1950s and 1960s. Study and Discussion Questions at the end of the book help students check their reading and comprehension. These questions can also be used to facilitate discussions in the classroom or student study groups.