Moses Fleetwood Walker

What moment/person/event/date did you choose?

I chose Moses Fleetwood Walker.

Who was affected by this moment/person/event/date?

There are many people affected by Moses Fleetwood Walker. Many people do not know this, but believe it or not, Jackie Robinson was actually not the first African American to play Major League Baseball. That honor goes to Moses Fleetwood Walker. Therefore Moses Fleetwood Walker affected Jackie Robinson by leading the way for Jackie to play Major League Baseball. And since Jackie Robinson was such a vital part in the civil rights movement, which helped African Americans all around the United States, that means that Moses Fleetwood Walker helped all of these African Americans, since he lead the way for Jackie Robinson.

When was this relevant, what else was going on during this time period?

Moses Fleetwood Walker broke the color barrier of playing professional organized baseball in 1884. Also at this time there were other important historical events going on, such as Mississippi establishing the first U.S. state college for women, the Statue of Liberty being presented to the U.S. in Paris, the first long-distance telephone call is made (from Boston to New York), and the U.S. adopts Standard Time.

Where did this occur, or where was this most impactful?

This was most impactful with most white baseball fans, and actually, most white people in general. There was never such a thing as an African American playing in professional organized baseball with white men before. White people were not used to such a thing. So of course this led to Moses Fleetwood Walker being verbally assaulted on the field, not to mention all the food and objects that were thrown at him from the stands. He faced adversity and racism very similar to Jackie Robinson’s situation.

Why do you think this is the most influential moment/person/event/date?

I think Moses Fleetwood Walker is the most influential person in history because he was the first black player...