assertion; Free Minds and Hearts at Work

This essay by Jackie Robinson was written in 1952. It reflects on his experiences in 1947 and his outlook on society.

I want to begin by saying that i greatly admire Mr. Robinson for all of the courage he showed by breaking the color barrier in Major League baseball. As he points out, I'm sure that his emotions would have been soaring at the World Series. Robinson goes on to point out many of the prejudices that he faced, and that others continue to face. These prejudices are undeniable, and in the past, success of the oppressed was very difficult. Today, though, I feel that too many people use prejudice as an excuse for thier situations. Through hard work, most Americans have the opportunity for success. I am not simply alluding to racial prejudice, though. Just because someone (black, white, or anywhere in between) begins life in poverty, he or she does not have to end likfe that way. A driven individual, in this country, has the opportunity for success. (I may have strayed from Mr. Robinson's essay, I used it as a kind of springboard)