America WAS systemically racist back then. Fortunately by the end of the 70s systemic racism was replaced by systemic favoritism and your race has been privileged ever since. Your welcome.
Branch Rickey allowing the first Black player into the major leagues did more for racial healing than any piece of legislation ever created.
Branch Rickey was a maverick when it came to baseball. He created the farm system, for example, but he then saw the talent level in the Negro League and thought to himself, there is no better player in MLB than Jackie Robinson. I will bring him here, show fans that he is just as good, if not better, and they will embrace him as he wins them a World Series. I will then get more white fans in the stadium, and well as Black fans.
And it worked.
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However, Rickey had the problem of acceptance to get it to work. Luckily, both Branch and Jackie were Christians as Branch took Jackie aside and explained to him that he MUST turn the other cheek when attacked for his color. He must make the world see that he is not the problem here, in fact, it was just the opposite, Jackie was the solution to a great many problems, like not winning ball games and racial harmony. And Jackie did it. He swallowed his pride, and just took it as he won ball game after ball game after ball game. Had he not, Jackie would have been ejected out of MLB and Blacks may have never returned for a very long time. Jackie first had to win the support of his teammates, who did not want him at first, and then the nation.
But after a year or so of taking it, as fans embraced him as their own, Branch gave Jackie the green light to begin to defend himself the best he felt he needed to do so.
Branch Rickey and Jackie Robinson, two American icons. But the whole scheme worked to bring racial harmony to the nation because back then, baseball was everything. It literally was the life blood of the country, something that is sadly missing today.
