Friday Night Lights
2006
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John Wendell Smith (March 23, 1914 – November 26, 1972) was an American sportswriter and civil rights activist who was influential in the choice of Jackie Robinson's career as the first African American Major League Baseball player.
Wendell Smith developed into a quality young pitcher on his way to professional ball until a fateful day in 1933. At nineteen years old, Smith pitched a shutout for his integrated American Legion team. After the game, he was approached by Detroit Tigers scout Wish Egan.
Jul 13, 2020 · Wendell Smith built a media career that would eventually be recognized in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He’s best known for his campaign to integrate major league baseball, which resulted in Jackie Robinson’s debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. Wendell Smith, however, was more than an activist.
Jan 19, 2013 · Wendell Smith was a pioneer in the field of sports, acting as the voice of Black America in fighting against segregation in Major League Baseball. Wendell Smith was born on March 23, 1914 and grew up in Detroit, Michigan. His father worked as a chef for automobile tycoon Henry Ford.
Apr 12, 2024 · Smith went home that night heartbroken but resolved to create change and triumph against racial injustice. That pursuit of equality ultimately led Smith to the Pittsburgh Courier newspaper, to Branch Rickey and to Jackie Robinson, who broke baseball’s color barrier as the first African American player in the Majors on April 15, 1947.
Wendell Smith is the long unsung figure in the struggle for racial integration. Smith played a key role in the Jackie Robinson story, as portrayed in the film 42, but Smith's role in American life extended far beyond Robinson and the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Jul 14, 2023 · Beyond his broadcasting career, Wendell Smith was a figure of unwavering determination and advocacy, shaping the course of social progress. As a pioneering journalist and broadcaster, he played a crucial role in integrating baseball during racial segregation.
