100 Years of TIME

A century-long tradition began March 3, 1923, with the first issue of TIME. Ten decades later and counting-we're still covering the world's news through the stories of the people who shaped those events. To mark TIME's centennial, we're looking back at some of our most influential moments, all framed by the cover's red border-and looking ahead to the stories that the events of tomorrow may bring. Find more at time.com/100-years

Breaking barriers

Sept. 22, 1947

By Spike Lee

In my unhumble opinion, Jackie Robinson is the greatest American in history/ herstory. I met him only once. It was in his later years, at a Long Island University basketball game, which was played at what used to be the Paramount Theatre, where Frank Sinatra sang to thousands of Bobby Soxers, at the corner of DeKalb and Flatbush, across the street from Junior's cheesecake, in the People's Republic of Brooklyn, New York.

During halftime, my Father pushed me toward Jackie, whose head was full of gray. At first, I couldn't believe this man was the great Jackie Robinson. I went up to him and said, My name is Spike Lee and I know who you are. His big hand swallowed mine. Jackie said, Young fella, do you play baseball? I answered, Yes, sir. Jackie said, What position? I quickly answered, Second base. So did I! Jackie shot back. After that, my Father taught me how Branch Rickey signed Jackie to the beloved Brooklyn Dodgers, breaking baseball's color barrier.

Dem Bums were the favorite team for Black Folks, even the ones who didn't know about baseball. They said their prayers every night on bended knee that Jackie would get a hit. They knew a lot-maybe everything was riding on this. The advancement of The Negro Race. No African American had more pressure on him/her to succeed than Jackie. OK, you may throw President Barack Obama in there, but if Jackie had failed the Great Experiment, would Obama be the First Black President? Jackie's failure would have set Black Folks back for many generations afterwards. Martin Luther King Jr. said himself, without him I would never have been able to do what I did. He was a Sit-Inner before Sit-Ins. A Freedom Rider before Freedom Rides.