Jackie Robinson (1919-1972)

Name

Jackie Robinson (1919-1972)

Last Name

Robinson

Date of Birth

31 January 1919

Date of Death

24 October 1972

State Assigned Gender

Male

Hometown or Region

Cairo, Georgia

Freedom Status

Free

Occupation

Professional Baseball Player

Biography

Jackie Robinson was one of the first Black Major League Baseball players.

Jackie Robinson was born on January 31, 1919 in Cairo, Georgia to a single mother. He was raised in poverty with his five siblings. Shortly after he was born, Jackie’s family moved to Pasadena, California where he spent the rest of his childhood. It was here where Jackie was introduced to sports by his older brother who was an olympic track star. From a very young age Jackie was very fond of all sports, but his love of baseball stuck out above all. In highschool, Jackie was named the region's MVP of baseball. Following highschool, Jackie went to UCLA to continue playing baseball, as well as, football, basketball and track. Although Jackie shined at UCLA, he was forced to leave prior to graduation due to financial issues. After UCLA he joined the United States Army where he remained until 1944 when he was honorably discharged because he refused to sit on the back of a segregated bus. Following the army, Jackie joined the Negro Baseball League. Jackie played on the Kansas City Monarchs and shined there. He played in Kansas City until he gained the interest of Branch Rickey, president of the Brooklyn Dodgers Major League Baseball. He started his career with the Dodgers on their farm team, the Montreal Royals. He played on this team until 1947 when he was called up to play in the Major Leagues for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He played his first game at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, where he became the first black person to play in Major League Baseball. Throughout the beginning of his career, Jackie faced hardships every time he hit the field, constantly being called racial slurs and being targeted by his opponents. Even though this was going on, Jackie’s talent prevailed and he won Rookie of the Year in 1947. Jackie continued to amaze people with his skills, holding the record for stolen bases, having a batting average of .347 and winning the National League MVP in 1949. Jackie was a star in baseball throughout his whole career, he even helped his team win a world series in 1955. He retired in 1957, and in 1962, Jackie Robinson was the first African American to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Following his baseball career, Jackie continued to be a voice for civil rights in America. He worked hard with many sports organizations, lobbying for integration of black athletes into sports. Adding to this, he served on the board of the NAACP until 1967, and was very close friends with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Jackie continued to serve his country fighting for equality for black people until the day he died. On October 24, 1972, Jackie Robinson died of a heart attack in his home. Although he passed away in 1972, his legacy in Major League Baseball will never be forgotten. The Dodgers retired his number “42” in 1972, and on the 50th anniversary of his major league debut, the MLB as a whole retired Jackie’s number forever to honor him as a hero for all of sports.

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Student Researcher

Drew Miller