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Two strong, loyal wives
span an era of change
of TheColumnists.com
One is an African
American woman in her 80s. The other is an African- American
woman in her 40s. Both are extremely attractive. Both are well
educated. One stood by her man during his most emotional time
in the 1940s. The other is standing by her man in 2008.
It was as if Rachel Robinson, wife of baseball’s first 20th
century black American big league player and Michelle Obama,
wife of possibly America’s first black president, were historic
twins separated at birth.
When Jackie Robinson walked on the field for the first time as
a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, it was, as broadcaster
Red Barber described it in his book, “All Hell Broke Loose.”
Rachel Robinson sat in the stands at Ebbets Field on that April
15 day, shivering in the cold with a light jacket, holding her
infant son in her arms, feeling so alone in that crowded baseball
stadium.
Michelle Obama, if her husband wins the election, will sit on
the Capitol steps on a likely frozen January 20, 2009 day, all
eyes on her as the nation hopefully accepts Barack Obama as the
44th President of the United States.
More than 60 years ago, baseball integration was as shocking
a step forward in the country’s psyche as the possible inauguration
of a man born of a white Kansas mother and a black Kenyan father.
Baseball meant so much to so many millions six decades ago. The
Second World War was over and the country returned to normal
activities. That included home, job, family, church and baseball.
No other sport really mattered then. Football hadn’t yet
gained its later status. Professional basketball was still minor
league with teams in Rochester, Syracuse, Fort Wayne and Moline.
Hockey consisted of six teams, two from Canada, Montreal and
Toronto and four from the northern United States--New York, Boston,
Chicago and Detroit.
Computers were a future dream. Cell phones were not invented.
Television was an infrequent event coming from a very small box
with mostly snow to watch and rabbit ears to collect the signal.
Movies cost 11 cents in my Brooklyn neighborhood, newspapers
were two cents, coffee and donuts were a nickel and my parents
paid 55 dollars a month for our four room apartment.
Now Obama, if he becomes the president, can only talk in billions
and trillions.
Rachel Robinson sat alone that first day at Ebbets Field with
none of the wives of other players bothering to greet her, soothe
her or communicate with her.
After a few games, Norma King, the wife of a Brooklyn relief
pitcher named Clyde King, reminded Rachel that the wives of players
could wait for their husbands after a game in a protected area
instead of in the midst of the crowd.
“Imagine, a little southern gal like my wife leading the
sweet Negro lady to safety,” recalled Clyde King more than
60 years later.
Rachel Robinson walked the streets of Brooklyn until she found
a small apartment that would take in her black family. The rent
was $100 a month, a fee barely comfortable for a ball player
making $3,500 a year.
Few of his teammates addressed Jackie Robinson directly. Many
had tried, unsuccessfully, during the previous month of spring
training in Cuba, to create a petition asking the Dodgers not
to bring the black man to the big team.
Some southerners pushed that hard. Others, notably Pee Wee Reese
of Louisville, Kentucky, opposed it vigorously.
Rachel Robinson sat home with her baby as Jackie went on the
road with the Dodgers. There were threats on his life from demented
fans, catcalls from opposing players, anger expressed by officials,
politicians and some teammates.
Jackie Robinson faced it all down. When a bitter, hateful threatening
letter arrived in the Dodger clubhouse before a game in Cincinnati,
a teammate named Gene Hermanski broke the tension.
“What if we all go out there wearing 42 (Jackie’s uniform
number) so they couldn’t tell us apart,” he suggested.
“I guess all the guys thought I was a little nuts,”
Hermanski said of the historic incident six decades ago.
Captain Pee Wee Reese put a comforting arm over Jackie’s
shoulder. A statue commemorating the event, suggested first by
colleague Stan Isaacs, now sits outside of the Mets minor league
park in Brooklyn at Key Span stadium.
Robinson went on to a Rookie of the Year award in 1947, a Most
Valuable Player award in 1949 and a Hall of Fame career. He died
in 1972.
Rachel Robinson now runs the Jackie Robinson Foundation, a charity
organization that has sent over 100,000 minority students to
college over the last 35 years.
Barack Obama has received death threats. Suggestions have been
made by his opposition that he will not survive a four year term.
Of course, if John McCain wins, suggestions have also been made
that he might not survive a four year term because of natural
causes.
Jackie Robinson had a strong wife behind him. It may be the reason
he was as successful as he was.
Barack Obama has a strong wife behind him. She may be the reason
for his success. I think Rachel Robinson and Michelle Obama have
so much in common.
Will the election of Barack Obama put that spousal tension to
rest forever?
©2008 by Maury Allen.
The Maury Allen caricature is ©2001 by Jim Hummel. The magazine
cover illustrations are courtesy of Ebony Magazine. This column
first posted Oct. 20, 2008.
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