He was a strong, well-built manRamblin' through life with no clear plan. And by chance he happened to climbThe social ladder- the first of his time. He had no hindrance- big or small,Well, that's not true, he had the biggest of allThe color of his skin and his determinationCaused much unjust discrimination. Yet he pulled through and kept quite calmWhile harsh words flew like atom bombs.He rubbed his hands with sand, before he went to batAnd each time behind him, the catcher sat. One coach in particular, taunted him at the plateBut Mr. Jackie Robinson ignored him and stared straight.He waited for the pitcher, to toss that final ball,That made four- an encouraging cheer came from all. He walked to first base, right then he made historyYoung boys across the nation lookin' up to Jackie.They'd rub their hands with sand before they went to batAnd behind them, a nine-year-old catcher sat. And no doubt did that baby boy look up to his dadEven if he was only a baby when it hadHappened, because his daddy did what was rightIn the middle of an unfair racism fight. And not only does his child look up to him, But the rest of America has joined him.Some, finally remorseful, saw the error in their waysAnd embraced Jackie's God-given right to play.  They harrassed, they threatened, they sent horrible lettersSaying if Jackie Robinson died, the game would change for the better.But he was born an American, just like you and me, And he was treated as though being black made him an inferior nationality. Now what gave us that rationality? We look back on the ways of segregationAnd scoff at the immaturity of our own nation.We gawk at the unimaginable gallOf the people against Jackie Robinson playin' ball.  We are all equal- black, white, yellow, or red-And that to most of us, is enough said.    Jackie Robinson, a hero in our eyes,Said to hell with segregation and its liesA black man with the courage to fight backWas all that our country really had lacked. And yet, today, as we have seen,Racism still torments everyone-- even our teens.Trayvon Martin, boy of character,Shot to death walking back home to his grandmother's. The shooter himself pulled a "Not Guilty"Not just for murder, but manslaughter tooAnd left the rest of us wondering,What would Mr. Robinson do?