Overview

According to Martin Luther King, Jr., Jackie Robinson was ""a sit-inner before the sit-ins, a freedom rider before the Freedom Rides."" According to Hank Aaron, Robinson was a leader of the Black Power movement before there was a Black Power movement. According to his wife, Rachel Robinson, he was always Jack, not Jackie-the diminutive form of his name bestowed on him in college by white sports writers. From two prominent Robinson scholars comes this electrifying biography that recovers the real person behind the legend, reanimating this famed figure's legacy for new generations, widening our focus from the sportsman to the man as a whole and deepening our appreciation for his achievements on the playing field in the process.

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9780374389956

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Reviews

A pugnacious civil rights advocate who also happened to be a great athlete. . . . Williams and Long chronicle [Robinson's] athletic achievements . . . but look beyond them to portray him as a 'relentless and uncompromising Black freedom fighter' who 'used his racial pride to fuel his lifelong passion for justice' . . . Thorough, expansive, readable [and] essential . . . Adds provocative nuances to the usual portrayals of a heroic American. --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

A pugnacious civil rights advocate who also happened to be a great athlete. . . . Williams and Long chronicle [Robinson's] athletic achievements . . . but look beyond them to portray him as a 'relentless and uncompromising Black freedom fighter' who 'used his racial pride to fuel his lifelong passion for justice' . . . Thorough, expansive, readable [and] essential . --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

A portrait of a pugnacious civil rights advocate who also happened to be a great athlete . . . Williams and Long chronicle [Robinson's] spectacular athletic achievements from elementary school to the major leagues--but look beyond them to portray him as a 'relentless and uncompromising Black freedom fighter' who 'used his racial pride to fuel his lifelong passion for justice' . . . This thorough, expansive, and readable work is an essential addition to the body of literature about a well-known figure. Adds provocative nuances to the usual portrayals of a heroic American. --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Kirkus Reviews Best Middle Grade Books of the Year School Library Journal Best Nonfiction Books of the Year Chicago Public Library Best Informational Books for Older Readers of the Year A pugnacious civil rights advocate who also happened to be a great athlete . . . Williams and Long chronicle [Robinson's] athletic achievements . . . but look beyond them to portray him as a 'relentless and uncompromising Black freedom fighter' who 'used his racial pride to fuel his lifelong passion for justice' . . . Thorough, expansive, readable [and] essential. --Kirkus Reviews, starred review This eye-opening biography . . . skillfully highlights one prominent Black figure's impact on America's history both on and off the ball field. --Publishers Weekly, starred review Engrossing . . . Much more than a sports biography, this powerful and stellar work documents Robinson's place in history as a civil rights hero. Highly recommended for all middle and high school libraries. --School Library Journal, starred review The depth of research in Call Him Jack is remarkable, and the authors effectively re-establish him as a man who tirelessly fought for justice, especially in his life after baseball. --The New York Times Book Review

Author Information

Yohuru Williams is a professor of history at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. The former chief historian of the Jackie Robinson Foundation, he appeared in Ken Burns's Jackie Robinson and is also the author of numerous books, including Teaching Beyond the Textbook. He lives in Minnesota. Michael G. Long is the author and editor of several books on Jack Robinson and civil rights history. He appeared in Ken Burns's Jackie Robinson, and his op-ed pieces about Robinson have been published in many national media outlets such as the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, and ESPN. He lives in Pennsylvania.

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