1865年南北战争之后，虽然“废奴”被写入了宪法修正案，但非洲裔美国人追求平等权利的道路才刚刚开始。即便是在杰基·罗宾森（Jackie Robinson）所处的时代，宪法所规定的许多公民权利，对黑人来说仍是一纸空文。
▍背景介绍
杰基·罗宾森（Jackie Robinson，1919年1月31日－1972年10月24日），美国职业棒球大联盟历史上第一位黑人球员，效力于布鲁克林道奇队（后来的洛杉矶道奇队）。在此之前，黑人只能在黑人联盟里打球。在其九年的大联盟生涯里，他获得过历史上第一个大联盟新人王、1949年的年度最有价值球员，还在1955年和队友一起击败了老对手纽约洋基队，夺得了美国职业棒球最高等级赛事世界大赛的冠军。
1956退役之后，杰基·罗宾森积极投入到为黑人群体谋取权益的各种经济和社会活动中。1958年，当时的美国总统艾森豪威尔在黑人领袖大会上发表讲话，指出在争取民主权利的过程中，非裔美国人需要更有耐心。针对这一讲话，杰基·罗宾森写了一封信，直接寄给了总统。
17 million negroes cannot wait for the hearts of men to change
May 13, 1958
My dear Mr. President:
I was sitting in the audience at the Summit Meeting of Negro Leaders yesterday when you said we must have patience. On hearing you say this, I felt like standing up and saying, 'Oh no! Not again.'
I respectfully remind you sir, that we have been the most patient of all people. When you said we must have self-respect, I wondered how we could have self-respect and remain patient considering the treatment accorded us through the years.
17 million Negroes cannot do as you suggest and wait for the hearts of men to change. We want to enjoy now the rights that we feel we are entitled to as Americans. This we cannot do unless we pursue aggressively goals which all other Americans achieved over 150 years ago.
As the chief executive of our nation, I respectfully suggest that you unwittingly crush the spirit of freedom in Negroes by constantly urging forbearance and give hope to those pro-segregation leaders like Governor Faubus who would take from us even those freedoms we now enjoy. Your own experience with Governor Faubus is proof enough that forbearance and not eventual integration is the goal the pro-segregation leaders seek.
In my view, an unequivocal statement backed up by action such as you demonstrated you could take last fall in dealing with Governor Faubus if it became necessary, would let it be known that America is determined to provide—in the near future—for Negroes—the freedoms we are entitled to under the constitution.
Respectfully yours,
Jackie Robinson
▍语言点
be entitled to sth / to do sth.: 有权利做某事
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. 我们认为下面这些真理是不言而喻的：造物者创造了平等的个人，并赋予他们若干不可剥夺的权利，其中包括生命权、自由权和追求幸福的权利。
aggressively: adv. 强烈地
racial segregation: 种族隔离
separate but equal: 隔离但平等
Brown vs. Board of Education: 布朗讼教育委员会案
with all deliberate speed: 以最稳重的步伐
forbearance: n. 忍耐
not eventual integration: 不完全的融合
an unequivocal statement: 一个毫不含糊的声明
Rookie of the year: 新人王奖
de facto segregatio: 事实上的隔离
discrimination: n. 歧视
The Handmaid's Tale: 美剧《使女的故事》
