--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Some day I'm going to have to stand…" description: "\"Some day I'm going to have to stand before God, and if He asks me why I didn't let that [Jackie] Robinson fellow play ball, I don't think saying 'becau..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/196/branch-rickey-12234_answers_some-day-i-m-going-to-have-to-stand-befo_621193.jpg" --- # Some day I'm going to have to stand before God, and if He… ![“Some day I'm going to have to stand before God, and if He asks me why I didn't let that [Jackie] Robinson fellow play ball, I don't think saying 'because of the color of his skin' would be a good enough answer.” quote by Branch Rickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/196/branch-rickey-12234_answers_some-day-i-m-going-to-have-to-stand-befo_621193.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/196/branch-rickey-12234_answers_some-day-i-m-going-to-have-to-stand-befo_621193.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/196/branch-rickey-12234_answers_some-day-i-m-going-to-have-to-stand-befo_621193.jpg) > “Some day I'm going to have to stand before God, and if He asks me why I didn't let that \[Jackie\] Robinson fellow play ball, I don't think saying 'because of the color of his skin' would be a good enough answer.” [Branch Rickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-rickey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Racial discrimination in sports is an inadequate excuse; moral responsibility demands action beyond prejudice. **In simple terms:** Racism isn’t a good excuse for denying opportunities. Key Takeaway Stand against discrimination actively. Themes justice racism responsibility sports ethics Mood determined reflective Type motivational ethical When to use this quote - sports management - activism - public speaking Key Concepts civil rights fair play social conscience Questions to Reflect On - How will you confront bias in your field? - What actions can you take to promote inclusion? A Different Perspective Ignoring systemic bias perpetuates inequality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Baseball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baseball/) [Color](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/color/) [Good enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-enough/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Motivational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivational/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [There was never a man in the game who could put mind and muscle together quicker and with better judgment than (Jackie) Robinson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-rickey/there-was-never-a-man-in-the-game-who-could-put-mind-and-muscle/) [Branch Rickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-rickey/) > [On the day of my judgment, when I stand before God, and He asks me why did I kill one of his true miracles,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/on-the-day-of-my-judgment-when-i-stand-before-god-and-he-asks-me-why/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Whether your name is (Lou) Gehrig or (Cal) Ripken, (Joe) DiMaggio or (Jackie) Robinson, or that of some youngster who picks up his bat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-your-name-is-lou-gehrig-or-cal-ripken-joe-dimaggio-or-jackie/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [We met in an airport in Las Vegas, Harrison Ford and I, and he said, "I just finished a movie called 42. I play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-king/we-met-in-an-airport-in-las-vegas-harrison-ford-and-i-and-he-said-i/) [Larry King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-king/) > [In baseball, there is something electrifying about the big leagues. I had read so much about (Stan) Musial, (Ted) Williams and (Jackie) Robinson. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hank-aaron/in-baseball-there-is-something-electrifying-about-the-big-leagues-i/) [Hank Aaron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hank-aaron/) > [What I found fascinating was just how quickly the best of the young Negro League players were drafted into the major leagues once Branch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-dean-myers/what-i-found-fascinating-was-just-how-quickly-the-best-of-the-young/) [Walter Dean Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-dean-myers/) > [We don't have a Roberto Clemente without Jackie Robinson. That's it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cora/we-don-t-have-a-roberto-clemente-without-jackie-robinson-that-s-it/) [Alex Cora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cora/) > [He (Jackie Robinson) knew he had to do well. He knew that the future of blacks in baseball depended on it. The pressure was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duke-snider/he-jackie-robinson-knew-he-had-to-do-well-he-knew-that-the-future-of/) [Duke Snider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duke-snider/) > [Some people would view Jackie Robinson as a very safe African-American, a docile figure who had a tendency to try to get along with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chadwick-boseman/some-people-would-view-jackie-robinson-as-a-very-safe-african/) [Chadwick Boseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chadwick-boseman/) > [He (Jackie Robinson) was the greatest competitor I've ever seen. I've seen him beat a team with his bat, his ball, his glove, his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duke-snider/he-jackie-robinson-was-the-greatest-competitor-i-ve-ever-seen-i-ve/) [Duke Snider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duke-snider/) > [When I went to Brooklyn in 1948 Jackie Robinson was at the height of his brilliant career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-harwell/when-i-went-to-brooklyn-in-1948-jackie-robinson-was-at-the-height-of/) [Ernie Harwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-harwell/) > [All though I didn't meet him. His legend and his saga and his story is just that. Jackie Robinson, we all have to tip…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-winfield/all-though-i-didn-t-meet-him-his-legend-and-his-saga-and-his-story-is/) [Dave Winfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-winfield/) > [Jackie Robinson is a true legend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-poitier/jackie-robinson-is-a-true-legend/) [Sidney Poitier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-poitier/) > [I let my game do the talking. I've had incidents like that but when I compare my own story to the stories that have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-ashley/i-let-my-game-do-the-talking-i-ve-had-incidents-like-that-but-when-i/) [Maurice Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-ashley/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) ## More by Branch Rickey > [Don't worry about your individual numbers. Worry about the team. If the team is successful, each of you will be successful, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-rickey/don-t-worry-about-your-individual-numbers-worry-about-the-team-if-the/) [Branch Rickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-rickey/) > [It is not the honor that you take with you, but the heritage you leave behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-rickey/it-is-not-the-honor-that-you-take-with-you-but-the-heritage-you-leave/) [Branch Rickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-rickey/) > [Thou shalt not steal. I mean defensively. On offense, indeed thou shall steal and thou must.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-rickey/thou-shalt-not-steal-i-mean-defensively-on-offense-indeed-thou-shall/) [Branch Rickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-rickey/) > [Don't look at the hole in the doughnut. Look at the whole doughnut.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-rickey/don-t-look-at-the-hole-in-the-doughnut-look-at-the-whole-doughnut/) [Branch Rickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-rickey/) > [Ethnic prejudice has no place in sports, and baseball must recognize that truth if it is to maintain stature as a national game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-rickey/ethnic-prejudice-has-no-place-in-sports-and-baseball-must-recognize/) [Branch Rickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-rickey/) > [We win if the world is convinced of two things, that you are a fine gentleman, and a great baseball player.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-rickey/we-win-if-the-world-is-convinced-of-two-things-that-you-are-a-fine/) [Branch Rickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-rickey/) > [Luck is the residue of opportunity and design.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-rickey/luck-is-the-residue-of-opportunity-and-design/) [Branch Rickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-rickey/) > [When (Rube) Waddell had control and some sleep, he was unbeatable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-rickey/when-rube-waddell-had-control-and-some-sleep-he-was-unbeatable/) [Branch Rickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-rickey/) > [Leisure is the handmaiden of the devil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-rickey/leisure-is-the-handmaiden-of-the-devil/) [Branch Rickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-rickey/) > [Luck is a residue of design.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-rickey/luck-is-a-residue-of-design/) [Branch Rickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-rickey/) > [Fill in any figure you want for that boy (Mickey Mantle). Whatever the figure, it's a deal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-rickey/fill-in-any-figure-you-want-for-that-boy-mickey-mantle-whatever-the/) [Branch Rickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-rickey/) > [Worry is simply thinking the same thing over and over again and not doing anything about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-rickey/worry-is-simply-thinking-the-same-thing-over-and-over-again-and-not/) [Branch Rickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-rickey/) > [I am alarmed at the subtle invasion of professional football, which is gaining preeminence over baseball. It's unthinkable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-rickey/i-am-alarmed-at-the-subtle-invasion-of-professional-football-which-is/) [Branch Rickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-rickey/) > [The only thing Abner Doubleday ever started was the Civil War.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-rickey/the-only-thing-abner-doubleday-ever-started-was-the-civil-war/) [Branch Rickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-rickey/) > [Man may penetrate the outer reaches of the universe, he may solve the very secret of eternity itself, but for me, the ultimate human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-rickey/man-may-penetrate-the-outer-reaches-of-the-universe-he-may-solve-the/) [Branch Rickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-rickey/) [Explore all 54 Branch Rickey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-rickey/) ## More Answers quotes > [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [Sometimes a question can hurt more than an answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/sometimes-a-question-can-hurt-more-than-an-answer/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [You feed yourself. Make sure you have all the information, whether it's aesthetic, scientific, mathematical, I don't care what it is. Then you walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/you-feed-yourself-make-sure-you-have-all-the-information-whether-it-s/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [I have long felt that the way to keep children out of trouble is to keep them interested in things. Lecturing to children is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/i-have-long-felt-that-the-way-to-keep-children-out-of-trouble-is-to/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) > [“As long as you keep searching,the answers will come.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-kynock/as-long-as-you-keep-searching-the-answers-will-come/) [Mitch Kynock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-kynock/) > [The answer to deep anxiety is the deep adoration of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/the-answer-to-deep-anxiety-is-the-deep-adoration-of-god/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [A dialogue is very important. It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [There is a comfort in rituals, and rituals provide a framework for stability when you are trying to find answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-norville/there-is-a-comfort-in-rituals-and-rituals-provide-a-framework-for/) [Deborah Norville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-norville/) > [A religious person answers to God, not to the elected or non-elected official.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/a-religious-person-answers-to-god-not-to-the-elected-or-non-elected/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [Instead of asking a girl how she feels, try looking through her recently listened to songs. The lyrics are the answer to all your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/instead-of-asking-a-girl-how-she-feels-try-looking-through-her/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For someone to ask 'Who did you play for' and to be able to answer a single name 'Liverpool' that would be brilliant...I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-carragher/for-someone-to-ask-who-did-you-play-for-and-to-be-able-to-answer-a/) [Jamie Carragher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-carragher/) > [When the first Superman movie came out I was frequently asked "What is a hero?" ...My answer was that a hero is someone who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/when-the-first-superman-movie-came-out-i-was-frequently-asked-what-is/) [Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/) > [Enjoying life isn't about finding the answers, but living the questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-margolis/enjoying-life-isn-t-about-finding-the-answers-but-living-the-questions/) [Sue Margolis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-margolis/) Browse all 7,843 Answers quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Some day I'm going to have to stand before God, and if He asks me why I didn't let that [Jackie] Robinson fellow play ball, I don't think saying 'because of the color of his skin' would be a good enough answer.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Branch Rickey" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-rickey/some-day-i-m-going-to-have-to-stand-before-god-and-if-he-asks-me-why/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Answers" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-rickey/some-day-i-m-going-to-have-to-stand-before-god-and-if-he-asks-me-why/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/196/branch-rickey-12234_answers_some-day-i-m-going-to-have-to-stand-befo_621193.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/196/branch-rickey-12234_answers_some-day-i-m-going-to-have-to-stand-befo_621193.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/196/branch-rickey-12234_answers_some-day-i-m-going-to-have-to-stand-befo_621193.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Some day I'm going to have to stand before God, and if He asks me why I didn't let that [Jackie] Robinson…” — Branch Rickey", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Branch Rickey", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-rickey/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Some day I'm going to have...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-rickey/some-day-i-m-going-to-have-to-stand-before-god-and-if-he-asks-me-why/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-rickey/some-day-i-m-going-to-have-to-stand-before-god-and-if-he-asks-me-why/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```