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From BleckleyProgress.com Community News
Roosevelt Jackson, the 94 year old oldest living Negro League player, manager, and scout, visited Bleckley County Elementary School along with son Lavelle to help a fifth grade Movie Maker team with their movie. This year’s Movie Maker theme is “Every Person, Place, Thing Has a Story”.
The fifth grade team coached by Brandi Anderson and Lynn Young is focusing on how baseball has a story to tell. The theme of their movie is how baseball brings people together during times of crisis. One section of the movie is about segregation and how Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier. Mr. Jackson played when black players were not allowed to play with the white players. He visited with the Movie Maker team and talked to the entire fifth grade about his life. Mr. Jackson was born the son of a slave. He admitted that he had a hard life, but the life he lived made him who he is today. He stated that he loves the game of baseball more than anything else. He said,” I would rather play baseball than eat.” Mr. Jackson played in the Negro Leagues for over 40 years, and he played his last baseball game at the age of 51. When asked about Jackie Robinson breaking the “color barrier,” he said,” It was a great day for athletes, but it was a sad day for the Negro Leagues. All of the best players were taken and sent to the Major League teams. That is when many players lost the opportunity to play the game they loved.
Mr. Jackson told the students that the key to his long life was respecting his parents, his teachers, and the game of baseball. He made an analogy between smashing your finger and the hurt that a person feels when that happens, and that same hurt is the hurt that parents feel when their children disobey them. He told them to take advantage of opportunities that are presented to them. He also stated, “We should give thanks for the life that we have. No matter how hard our lives may be or may have been, those experiences make us into the people we are.”
Mr. Jackson also visited with the Bleckley County Royals baseball team. He met with them during their practice and talked to them about teamwork. He told them that a team is nine players, not one. He said that if they were going through a slump or things weren’t going right, they shouldn’t let that get them down. They are part of a team, and their teammates will pick them up. He said baseball is not about individuals. He also stressed that they should respect the game. Roosevelt Jackson currently resides in Buena Vista, Georgia. He travels all over the United States speaking about his experiences playing the sport he loved in the Negro Leagues. Bleckley County Elementary School was very honored to have such a legend visit their school. © Copyright 2008 by BleckleyProgress.com |
