Parting the Waters: America in the King Years 1954-63

by Taylor Branch

When Patterson sat down, a bandaged but dapper Wyatt Walker came forward. “It does not take long to introduce Jackie Robinson,” he said snappily. “You can do it as quick as you can say Jackie Robinson.” And the gray-haired baseball immortal drew a river of sighs and cheers that eclipsed even King’s. “I don’t think you realize down here in Birmingham what you mean to us up there in New York,” said Robinson. “And I don’t think white Americans understand what Birmingham means to all of us throughout the country.” Normally a facile public speaker, Robinson said haltingly that he could not express himself, could not explain it, that the only thing he could think to tell them was that when he left New York his three children had wanted to come with him to go to jail too, because they had seen Birmingham children going to jail for what they believed in. “I can’t help getting emotional about this thing,” he said. “…And I wish that this same kind of enthusiasm that has shown right here in this church tonight could be shown to Negroes through America.” “I am convinced that the agreements