Jackie Robinson

I'm not concerned with your liking or disliking me... All I ask is that you respect me as a human being.

There's not an American in this country free until every one of us is free.

Life is not a spectator sport. If you're going to spend your whole life in the grandstand just watching what goes on, in my opinion you're wasting your life.

I don't think I'm a hero. I'm just a man who did what had to be done.

A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.

The way I figured it, I was a colored boy. I was a Negro. I was black. I was a lot of things. But I was also an American. And I had the right to be treated like an American.

I know that I am a black man, and I know that I am an American, and I know that I have the same rights as any other American.

We cannot afford to waste a single minute in the fight for our rights.

It isn't a question of whether or not you're good enough. It's a question of whether or not you're white enough.

I was a man of peace, but I was also a man who believed in justice.

Baseball is like a poker game. Nobody wants to quit when he's losing; nobody wants to quit when he's ahead.

The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

I'm not going to sit here and say that I love everybody. But I will say that I respect everybody.

The right of every American to play in the major leagues is no longer a question. It is a fact.

I was proud to be a Negro, and I was proud to be an American.

We are still a long way from the finish line.

My life has been one of constant struggle.

The game of baseball is a wonderful game, but it's not the most important thing in life.

I don't mind if you don't like me. Just don't let it interfere with your job.

I'm not trying to be a hero. I'm just trying to be a man.