First Class Citizenship; The Civil Rights Letters of Jackie Robinson

Robinson, Jackie and Long, Michael G. (Editor)

ISBN 10: 0805087109 / ISBN 13: 9780805087109

Published by Times Books (Henry Holt and Company), New York, 2007

About this Item

xviii, [2], 359, [5] pages. Illustrations. Editor's Introduction. A Note on the Text. Notes. Location of Letters. Index. Ex-library with usual library markings. DJ had been pasted to boards. Michael G. Long is Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Peace and Conflict Studies at Elizabethtown College. Long has published numerous works on Martin Luther King, Jr., the Civil Rights Movement, Billy Graham, and Christian living. His books include First Class Citizenship: The Civil Rights Letters of Jackie Robinson and The Legacy of Billy Graham: Critical Reflections on America's Great Evangelist. At Elizabethtown College he teaches courses on Christian social ethics, the Civil Rights Movement, and peace and conflict studies. This work includes never-before-published letters that offer a rich portrait of the baseball star as a fearless advocate for racial justice at the highest levels of American politics. Jackie Robinson's courage on the baseball diamond is one of the great stories of the struggle for civil rights in America, and his Hall of Fame career speaks for itself. In First Class Citizenship, Jackie Robinson comes alive on the page. Michael G. Long has unearthed a remarkable trove of Robinson's correspondence with--and personal replies from--such figures as Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Martin Luther King, Hubert and Barry Goldwater. These conversations reveal the scope and depth of Robinson's effort during the 1950s and 1960s to rid America of racism. Writing eloquently and with evident passion, Robinson charted his own course, questioning the tactics of the civil rights movement, and challenging leaders when he felt they were guilty of hypocrisy--or worse. Through his words as well as his actions, Jackie Robinson personified the "first class citizenship" that he considered the birthright of all Americans, whatever their race. First Edition [Stated], First Printing [Stated].

Seller Inventory # 74981

Bibliographic Details

• Title: First Class Citizenship; The Civil Rights Letters of Jackie Robinson
• Publisher: Times Books (Henry Holt and Company), New York
• Publication Date: 2007
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0805087109
• ISBN 13: 9780805087109
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: Good
• Dust Jacket Condition: Good

About this title

Synopsis

Never-before-published letters offer a rich portrait of the baseball star as a fearless advocate for racial justice at the highest levels of American politics
 

Jackie Robinson's courage on the baseball diamond is one of the great stories of the struggle for civil rights in America, and his Hall of Fame career speaks for itself. But we no longer hear Robinson speak for himself; his death at age fifty-three in 1972 robbed America of his voice far too soon.

In First Class Citizenship, Jackie Robinson comes alive on the page for the first time in decades. The scholar Michael G. Long has unearthed a remarkable trove of Robinson's correspondence with--and personal replies from--such towering figures as Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Hubert Humphrey, Nelson Rockefeller, and Barry Goldwater. These extraordinary conversations reveal the scope and depth of Robinson's effort during the 1950s and 1960s to rid America of racism.

Writing eloquently and with evident passion, Robinson charted his own course, offering his support to Democrats and to Republicans, questioning the tactics of the civil rights movement, and challenging the nation's leaders when he felt they were guilty of hypocrisy--or worse. Through his words as well as his actions, Jackie Robinson truly personified the "first class citizenship" that he considered the birthright of all Americans, whatever their race.

About the Author

Michael G. Long is an assistant professor of religious studies at Elizabethtown College and is the author of several books on religion and politics in mid-century America, including Against Us, but for Us: Martin Luther King, Jr. and the State and Billy Graham and the Beloved Community: America's Evangelist and the Dream of Martin Luther King, Jr. He lives in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania.