Opening the Door for Jackie

The integration of Major League Baseball in 1945 marked a pivotal milestone in America’s struggle for racial equality. While many accounts celebrate the Black ballplayer who heroically broke the big league’s color barrier and the White executive who defied its segregationist policy, the real story is far richer. As this book explains, there was a civil rights movement long before Martin Luther King, Jr. “had a dream,” and pressuring the national pastime to open its doors to African American players was one of its stated goals.

Drawing on newly uncovered sources, this book tells the story of a broad coalition—activists, journalists, trade unions, politicians, and ordinary citizens—who fought discrimination on and off the field during World War II. In addition to highlighting the long-overlooked contributions of A. Philip Randolph, Walter White, Vito Marcantonio, Joe Cummiskey, Paul Robeson, Philip Murray, Henry A. Wallace, Ben Davis, Jr., Claude Lightfoot, and others, the book also reveals how Jackie Robinson’s signing ignited the legendary feud between Branch Rickey and Larry MacPhail.

Author Biography

After a career in advertising and television, Keith Evan Crook earned his master’s degree in history from Harvard. He lives in Stamford, Connecticut.