Before I get going on my post, my first in a long time, I do want to warn you up front, this post has nothing to do with photography, nothing at all. No hidden messages here, no deep thoughts about passion. Maybe if I post more than once a quarter, I may have a post on photography soon.

April 15th is probably not the most loved dates in the states; many are running to the post office at the last minute to mail their taxes, or worse, writing a check to the government. But for many other Americans, this day is much more important than taxes, it is about struggle, equality and the strive to become one nation after years of pain and suffering.

Confused? Taxes and equality? Well, my fellow Americans, April 15th is not only the day your taxes are due, but it is also the anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in baseball in 1947, as a Brooklyn Dodger.

As a child, my parents ingrained into me the idea of their heroes. My father would tell me tales and give me books on World War II, to the point that I was probably the only 5th grader that wanted to meet Pappy Boyington and knew the difference between a P40 Mustang and a P38 Lightning. He was taken in by the heroics of Richard Bong, the greatest US fighter pilot in World War II, and Audie Murphy, the highest decorated solder in World War II and in war up to that point.

My mother would tell me about the civil rights movement, Dr. King, Rosa Parks and Medgar Evers. The idea of struggle to be equal and to be treated fairly resonated with her the same way that the heroics of veterans of WWII resonated with my father. I think they loved how their heroes would fight the good fight, but also, they were not people that followed the rules, but rather broke them and succeeded in their endeavors.

I would like to point out to my parents, that they should wonder why I seem to buck the system, when their and my roles models had a hard time following the rules and going with the flow.

But for my mother, her hero was Jackie Robinson. It would be hard for such a dire hard Dodger fan to pick their favorite player, but Jackie was more than a player, he was an icon, a true hero.

Now if you are a bit confused or lost on who Jackie Robinson is/was, you can check out the full details. But the cliff notes are these, before Jackie Robinson stepped on the diamond at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn; no African American had played the game of baseball since 1880. He would face persecution from players on other teams, including a few on his own in the early days of his career, racial hatred from the fans in the stands and death threats while on the road.

What is amazing about Jackie’s tale is that you can historically see a shift in American history after April 15th, 1947. By the end of his first season, many teams would have plans in place to integrate their teams, and a few would already have added African American players by season end. President Truman would integrate the arm forces in 1948. By Jackie walking onto the field, it was like the floodgates opened and serious change began to happen. While that change had taken too long to happen, and would take longer, is taking longer, Jackie had changed the culture of the country. Many historians now consider this day one of the most important in the civil rights movement.

But Jackie couldn’t change history by just being there. He had to be great, he had to be better than most players in baseball, because so many believed he would fail because of the color of his skin. That his talent would be inferior to that of the white players.

He would also have to be great in the face of pressure in stress that I cannot even conceive of. Jackie would go on to play second base for most of his career, but his first season he played first base. Opposing players would try to drive their spike into his Achilles tendon while crossing the bag, in hopes to cripple him. The owner of the Dodgers, Branch Ricky, had told Jackie that he could not retaliate to any action for the first two years of his career, or he would be fired. Imagine that almost everyone that you work with hates you to the core, and you have to be better than them, while biting your lip the entire time.

That is what astonishes me the most, that he could cool his temper while having players and fans spewing hate at him. Jackie was not a levelheaded person, he was known for his temper. While serving in World War II he refused to go the back of the bus and was court marshaled, but found not guilty by a panel of 9 white officers. To put that in perspective, Joe Lewis, the Heavyweight Champion in boxing, was a fellow officer that served with Jackie, never stood up to the establishment.

Jackie was smart enough to know that his temper would do him little good if he were to change the game of baseball. The level of awareness and willingness to change is staggering.

His accomplishments as an athlete are equally amazing. Jackie was the first athlete in UCLA history to letter in four sports, football, baseball, basketball and track. Ironically, baseball was his worse sport. As a professional baseball player, he won the first Rookie of the Year award in 1947, six times all-star and MVP in 1949. He would also be part of the Dodgers first World Series win in 1955.

He would retire from the game in 1956, which sounds earlier but he had started playing the game much later in life than most of his fellow players. There is an image of Jackie leaving the Brooklyn clubhouse, his hair now white, probably from the level of stress he endured as a player. He would pass away in 1972, after battling diabetes and heart disease later in life.

I remember my father telling me how sad my mother was the day that Jackie died, and how she was brought to tears. My father encouraged her to write to Jackie’s wife, and let her know how much her husband meant to my mother.

In 1997, on the 50th anniversary of his walking onto the diamond of Ebbets field, professional baseball retired his number, 42, for all of baseball, and only current players could keep the number if they already had it. His number would be displayed in all the stadiums of professional baseball. I took my mother to Oakland Stadium to see his number retired when the Dodgers played the A’s that year. It is one of the highlights of my life.

In 2004 Baseball would make the day official and all ballparks would take the time to honor Jackie, his story and sacrifice. Last year, all the players in baseball would wear his number on April 15th, to honor the man and his legacy, a tradition that they will carry on this year as well.

Like my mother, I have wrapped myself in the heroics of Jackie Robinson. I am humbled by his courage, strength and legacy. I wear his number with a sense of pride, and I feel the need to tell his story, to make sure such a tale and sacrifice, over such a simple game, is told.

I do wonder at times, what would have happened, had he failed, had he struck a player that uttered a racial slur at him or his family. Would things have changed? Would we be the same nation, with the same legacy? Maybe nothing, maybe everything, but I am glad we don’t have to live that alternative reality.

I am also personally touched by his legacy, as half of bi-racial relationship. It was not that long ago that my girlfriend and I could be prosecuted for dating outside of our race. And while I know first hand that many people still hold prejudices close to their heart, fortunately, their numbers are shrinking. We both are very aware of his legacy, and the other heroes of the civil rights movement, and we are very grateful for their courage and struggle.

So if you are behind on getting your taxes done, get them to the post office, cut the government a check if you need to, and then go home, or the ball park, if you are lucky enough to have one, and take in a game and the sun. Sometimes we loose track of the freedoms that so many fought so hard for. No TV or ballpark? There is this thing they call outside, go check it out, I read about it on Twitter.