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

by Yohuru Williams (Author)

Call Him Jack: The Story of Jackie Robinson, Black Freedom Fighter
Reading Level: 6th − 7th Grade

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

According to Martin Luther King, Jr., Jackie Robinson was "a sit-inner before the sit-ins, a freedom rider before the Freedom Rides."

According to Hank Aaron, Robinson was a leader of the Black Power movement before there was a Black Power movement. A

ccording to his wife, Rachel Robinson, he was always Jack, not Jackie--the diminutive form of his name bestowed on him in college by white sports writers.

And throughout his whole life, Jack Robinson was a fighter for justice, an advocate for equality, and an inspiration beyond just baseball. From prominent Robinson scholars Yohuru Williams and Michael G. Long comes Call Him Jack, an exciting biography that recovers the real person behind the legend, reanimating this famed figure's legacy for new generations, widening our focus from the sportsman to the man as a whole, and deepening our appreciation for his achievements on the playing field in the process.

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$11.99
This title will be released on Jan. 1, 2026, midnight

Kirkus

Starred Review
This thorough, expansive, and readable work is an essential addition to the body of literature about a well-known figure. Adds provocative nuances to the usual portrayals of a heroic American.

Review quotes

 
Yohuru Williams
Yohuru Williams is the distinguished university chair and professor of history and founding director of the Racial Justice Initiative at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. The former chief historian of the Jackie Robinson Foundation, he appeared in Ken Burns's Jackie Robinson and with Michael G. Long coauthored More Than a Dream: The Radical March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, which was longlisted for the National Book Award, and Call Him Jack: The Story of Jackie Robinson, Black Freedom Fighter. He is the author of numerous books, including Teaching Beyond the Textbook.

Michael G. Long has a PhD from Emory University and is the author or editor of numerous books on nonviolent protest, civil rights, LGBTQ+ rights, politics, and religion. With Yohuru Williams he coauthored More Than a Dream: The Radical March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, which was longlisted for the National Book Award, and Call Him Jack: The Story of Jackie Robinson, Black Freedom Fighter. His other acclaimed books include Unstoppable: How Bayard Rustin Organized the 1963 March on Washington and Troublemaker for Justice: The Story of Bayard Rustin, the Man Behind the March on Washington. He also served as an expert historian for Ken Burns's documentary Jackie Robinson. He lives in Pennsylvania with his family.

Xia Gordon graduated from the School of Visual Arts with a BFA in cartooning and illustration. She is the illustrator of A Song for Gwendolyn Brooks by Alice Faye Duncan and Let Us March On! by Yohuru Williams and Michael G. Long and has worked with clients such as The New York Times, BuzzFeed, Lenny Letter, and Narratively. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. Visit her at XiaGordon.com.
Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9781250346568
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
N/A
Publication date
January 01, 2026
Series
-
BISAC categories
JNF018010 - Juvenile Nonfiction | People & Places | United States - African-American
JNF053140 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Social Topics | Prejudice & Racism
JNF007110 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Biography & Autobiography | Social Activists
JNF025210 - Juvenile Nonfiction | History | United States/20th Century
JNF054010 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Sports & Recreation | Baseball & Softball
Library of Congress categories
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