Call Him Jack: The Story of Jackie Robinson, Black Freedom Fighter

Description: "An enthralling, eye-opening portrayal of this barrier-breaking American hero as a lifelong, relentlessly proud fighter for Black justice and civil rights"--

Brief description: Yohuru Williams is a professor of history and founding director of the Racial Justice Initiative at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. A regular contributor to a variety of media programming on CNN and History, he is the author of numerous books, including Teaching US History Beyond the Textbook, Call Him Jack: The Story of Jackie Robinson, Black Freedom Fighter, and More Than a Dream: The Radical March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The former chief historian of the Jackie Robinson Foundation, he appeared in Ken Burns's Jackie Robinson and was one of the hosts of Sound Smart, the History Channel's popular YouTube program. His educational videos on civil rights, social movements, and other historic events have garnered over 1 million views. He lives in Minnesota.

Review Quotes:

Kirkus Reviews Best Middle Grade Books of the Year
School Library Journal Best Nonfiction Books of the Year
Chicago Public Library Best Informational Books for Older Readers of the Year

"A pugnacious civil rights advocate who also happened to be a great athlete . . . Williams and Long chronicle [Robinson's] athletic achievements . . . but look beyond them to portray him as a 'relentless and uncompromising Black freedom fighter' who 'used his racial pride to fuel his lifelong passion for justice' . . . Thorough, expansive, readable [and] essential." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"This eye-opening biography . . . skillfully highlights one prominent Black figure's impact on America's history both on and off the ball field." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Engrossing . . . Much more than a sports biography, this powerful and stellar work documents Robinson's place in history as a civil rights hero. Highly recommended for all middle and high school libraries." --School Library Journal, starred review

"The depth of research in Call Him Jack is remarkable, and the authors effectively re-establish him as a man who tirelessly fought for justice, especially in his life after baseball." --The New York Times Book Review