An American hero is not just a person that goes out and fights for our country. It is someone who makes a change and stands up for something that is not right. Many decades ago, we had many “American Hero’s” that fought and risked their lives day and night to change America. One of these American heroes’ is Jackie Robinson. Most of you all know that he fought for the equality of rights on the baseball field, but he did more than just that.
Jackie Robinson, born Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born on January 31, 1919 in Cairo, Georgia. He was the youngest of five children and was raised by his single-handedly mother Mallie Robinson in poverty. He went to John Muir High School and Pasadena Junior College, were he excelled in football, basketball, track, and baseball. Jackie Robinson won the regions Most Valuable Player in baseball in 1938. Jackie was inspired by his older brother Matthew Robinson to push for his goals, talents and love for sports. Jackie finished his education at the University of California, Los Angeles. He was the first student in the university to receive varsity letters in four sports. In 1941, Robinson had to leave UCLA because of financial problems just around graduation time. He ended up moving to Honolulu, Hawaii and played football for the Honolulu bears, but that didn’t last long because the United States entered World War II. Robinson served as a second lieutenant in the United States Army from 1942 to 1944, but was honorably discharged because; he refused to sit in the back of a segregated bus during boot camp in 1944.
Robinson began playing baseball professionally after being discharged from the army. He started playing in the Negro Leagues, because at this time the sport was segregated and African Ame...
... middle of paper ...
...stounding career batting average of .311, he retired shortly after the trade to the Giants on January 5, 1957.
After his retirement he continued working as an activist for social change, and worked in a business. He helped established the African-American-owned and-controlled Freedom Bank, and also worked as an executive for the Chock Full O’Nuts coffee company and restaurant chain. He worked on the board of the NAACP, and in 1967 was the first African –American to be drafted into the Hall of Fame. His number “42” was retired in 1972. On October 24, 1972 in Stamford Connecticut, Jackie Robinson died of heart problems and diabetes complications. After he passed away, his wife made the “Jackie Robinson Foundation” to help young people in need by giving them scholarships and mentoring programs, also to honor all the hard work and dedication he did in his lifetime.
Jackie Robinson was born on January 31, 1919 in Georgia. On this day, a legend arrived. Jackie was raised by his mother, and his mother alone. His father left before Jackie was born, and he didn’t remember one thing about him. Jackie had many siblings, brothers and sisters. Jackie had an older brother named Matthew, who was also very athletic. Jackie’s mother tried the best she could to raise these boys right, and teach them that no matter what the whites called them...they were special.
A. Jack Roosevelt Robinson (also known as Jackie Robinson) was the first african american to play in the MLB. Also a World War II veteran, husband and father of three.
Jackie Robinson was the most influential ball player of all time. Jackie was born in Cairo, Georgia on January 31, 1919. Robinson had a tough childhood since his dad left his family when he was only 1 year old. This was very difficult for his family, so Jackie, his mom, and his 4 siblings moved to California. This move actually helped Jackie in the long run as he later attended UCLA. At UCLA, Jackie became the first 4-letter man. This meant that he was the first person in the school’s history to join four varsity sports teams. From there, Jackie went on to the army and then to the Negro Leagues. During his time in the Negro Leagues, Branch Rickey, the general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, was looking for a black man to break the
Jackie Robinson, a famous black baseball player, proved to the world that just because you have a different skin color does not mean that you aren’t as good as someone with a different color skin. Jackie was the first black man to ever sign with and play for a team that was a part of the all-white major league baseball organization. He along with Branch Rickey, the manager of the dodgers who signed Robinson, broke the color barrier in baseball and led the way for other talented Negro ball players to get into the majors.
Jackie was born and raised in Cairo, Georgia 1919. He was raised by his single mother Mallie along with is four siblings. He was the first person at UCLA to obtain a varsity letter in baseball, basketball, football, and track. He married Rachel Isum who he met at UCLA. He however had to leave school due to financial reasons and decided to enlist in the military, but was honorably discharged due to being court-martialed due to his actions against racial discrimination. Jackie played one season in 1945 with the Kansas City Monarchs leading to further achievements in his professional baseball career.
In 1935, Robinson graduated from Washington Junior High School and enrolled at John Muir High School (Muir Tech).[20] Recognizing his athletic talents, Robinson's older brothers Mack (himself an accomplished athlete and silver medalist at the 1936 Summer Olympics)[19] and Frank inspired Jackie to pursue his interest in
Jackie Robinson changed baseball in America in the 1940s by breaking the segregation barrier that was bestowed on baseball. Robinson played in the Negro League for the Kansas City Monarchs. In 1945 Branch Rickey of the Brooklyn Dodgers negotiated a contract with Robinson that would bring Robinson into the major leagues in 1947. Baseball was segregated because of racial intolerance, economic factors, and other complex reasons. The major leagues would rent out their stadiums to the Negro League teams when their own team would be on the road. For example, if the Brooklyn Dodgers were on the road they would rent out their stadium to the Kansas City Monarchs. Major League team owners also knew if they integrated the Majors the Negro League would lose their best players and the Negro League would be lost. Also, the Majors would lose significant revenue.
According to Jessie Jackson, "A champion wins a World Series or an Olympic event and is hoisted on the shoulders of the fans. A hero carries the people on his shoulders" (Robinson 3). This is what made Jackie Robinson a hero to African-Americans. Robinson's achievement goes beyond the statistics and championships he earned on the field. He opened the door for his entire race to play professional sports and gain acceptance as more desegregation took place. After fighting in World War II from 1941 until 1944, Jackie played for the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues from 1944 until 1946. In 1946, he was selected as the best person to break the color barrier in Major League Baseball.
Jackie Robinson was born in Cairo. The year Jackie was born was 1919 to a family of farmers. His Mother name is Mallie Robinson. She raised Jackie and four other of her children. They were the only black family around and people gave them a hard time about living around them since they were the only black family on the block. Jackie was the very first black baseball player ever to join the white man’s league.
Jackie Robinson overcame many struggles in life such as being included in the civil rights movement, facing discrimination, and he achieved being the first black man in major league baseball. He was born on January 31, 1919 in Cairo, Georgia on Hadley Ferry Road. It is a blue-collar town of about 10,000 people. Jackie Robinson became the first black player in the major leagues with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Even though he achieved this major goal he still had trouble getting there. He and his siblings were raised by his single mother. Jackie attended Muir High School and Pasadena Junior College. He was a great athlete and played many sports. He played football, basketball, track, and of course baseball. He left school in 1941, worked as an athletic director and played semiprofessional football for the Honolulu Bears before being drafted to the Army in 1942. While he was in the army he became close friends with Joe Louis. The heavyweight used his popularity to protest about the delayed entry of black soldiers. Two years later he got the honor to be second lieutenant in 1943. After an accident where he refused to sit in the back of an unsegregated bus, military police arrested Robinson. A duty officer requested this and then later he requested that Jackie should be court martialed. Since this happened Jackie was not allowed to be deployed overseas to the World War II. He never saw combat during the war. Jackie left the Army with an honorable discharge.
Jackie Robinson, born Jack Roosevelt Robinson, is known for being the first African-American to play in Major League Baseball. He was born on January 31, 1919 in Cairo, Georgia as the grandson of a slave. He was the youngest of five children and at six months old his father left them. At this time, because it was so hard for African-Americans in the south, his mother Mallie Robinson decided to move them to Pasadena, California where it was easier for African-Americans to live and find jobs.
To the average person, in the average American community, Jackie Robinson was just what the sports pages said he was, no more, no less. He was the first Negro to play baseball in the major leagues. Everybody knew that, but to see the real Jackie Robinson, you must de-emphasize him as a ball player and emphasize him as a civil rights leader. That part drops out, that which people forget. From his early army days, until well after his baseball days, Robinson had fought to achieve equality among whites and blacks. "Jackie acted out the philosophy of nonviolence of Martin Luther King Jr., before the future civil rights leader had thought of applying it to the problem of segregation in America"(Weidhorn 93). Robinson was an avid member of the NAACP and helped recruit members because of his fame from baseball. Jackie had leadership qualities and the courage to fight for his beliefs. Unwilling to accept the racism he had run into all his life, he had a strong need to be accepted at his true worth as a first-class citizen. Robinson was someone who would work for a cause - that of blacks and of America - as well as for himself and his team.
His middle name was chosen after Teddy Roosevelt because of his public opposition to racism. He had four brothers and sisters (Rampersad 15). As an infant Jackie Robinson’s father left him and his brothers and sisters. He would later try and return but Mallie, Jackie’s mother, had already moved on and wanted nothing to do with him. Mallie was eager to leave things behind so she moved. Robinson and his family moved to Pasadena, California (Rampersad 18). After two years she was able to collect enough money to move to a new house on Pepper Street which was an all-white neighborhood. Later on in his life Robinson went to The University of California, Los Angeles (Johnson 480). While at UCLA Robinson became the first person to letter in four different sports. It was also at UCLA where he met Rachel Isun, who would play a major role in his life. In 1941
Jack “Jackie” Roosevelt Robinson was born January 31, 1919 in Cairo Georgia. There he lived with his family in dire poverty on a sharecropper’s farm. Abandoned by his father, at age one, his mother moved their family to Pasadena, California; there she raised Robinson and his four siblings all by herself. Jack became a star athlete in high school excelling in football, basketball, track, and his weakest sport baseball. Jack was not the only athlete in his family. His brother Mack, won a silver medal in the 1936 Berlin Olympics for the 200 meter dash finishing second to Jesse Owens. When his brother returned the only job he could get was sweeping the streets. Robinson grew to hate Pasadena, according to Ray Bartlett, a friend he would later meet at UCLA. (Jerome 71) While Mallie, Jack’s mom, struggled to raise her family alone, she instilled the values in Robinson that made him fight not just for himself, but for others. (Berkow A16)
He served as an athletic director. Afterward, he played baseball for a professional African-American team. With him joining the team it caused, him to be away from his college sweetheart, Rachel. Then one day, Brooklyn Dodgers scout Clyde invites him to meet Branch Rickey, president of the Major-League Baseball team. At first, Robinson considers the offer to be a practical joke, as African Americans are not allowed to play in the segregated major leagues. When he was convinced that the opportunity is genuine, he and Rickey size each other up. After thinking over Rickey’s warning about the hatred and abuse he would have to endure without being able to strike back. Robinson signs with the Dodgers/ The Montreal Royals. Though he wants to hold off from marrying Rachel to shield her. She insists in an immediate wedding, so she can support her man in the trying times ahead. Robinson leads the league in hitting in his first year, and despite the grave concerns expressed by the Commissioner of Major League Baseball. Rickey goes ahead and promotes the Dodgers. Reviled at first, by many of the fans and some of his own teammates, Robinson gets off to a shaky start. He played out of position at first base and going through a hitting slump, but then gradually wins people over with his talent and determination. The team goes on winning the pennant. Robinson driving in the tying run and scoring the winning one in the deciding game.