Jackie Robinson was born in 1919 in Cairo, Georgia into a family of sharecroppers. He followed his older brother Mac Robinson into athletics. Mac competed in the 1936 Olympics and won a medal. He came back to Pasadena after the Olympics and could only find work as a garbage man. This left an impression on Jackie his whole life. Jackie Robinson then went to Pasadena junior college and became the first UCLA student to win varsity letters in four sports (basketball, football, track, and baseball). However, he was actually more talented in basketball and football.

He was well known for his versatility in all of these sports and for being amazing at anything he did. Most of the information for this article comes from Biography and the Jackie Robinson website.

His run-in with the law

While in the army, Robinson was arrested for refusing to move to the back of a segregated bus. Jackie fought a court-martial and eventually was given an honorable discharge. Jackie was sick and tired of the US Army and the army felt they had a problem on their hands considering Luintenant Robinson's credentials and popularity, so they decided a mutual split was the best direction to go with the soon-to-be star. With the time he was in, he knew the only chance he had to play professional baseball was the Negro League, so he signed with the Kansas City Monarchs 1945.

That same year he was given a life-changing opportunity when he was given an invitation from Branch Rickey of the Brooklyn Dodgers,

Why Jackie Robinson was so important to professional baseball

Branch Rickey realized before he even signed Jackie that there were better baseball players in the Negro League, however, he knew he didn't just need a Baseball Player of superb skills, but one that had flawless and impeccable character, and he found that in Jackie.

Despite harsh opposition, Jackie was selected as the Rookie of the Year. The valor that Jackie showed to the bigoted remarks and jeering was one of the great silent portraits in American history.

Where he went after baseball

Shortly after being traded to the Giants, Jackie retired and became a business executive. Even after he left baseball, his fight was not over, he still fought for equal rights, the ending of segregation, and was part of the highest ranking NAACP.

He opened a bank in Harlem and spent much of his time trying to change racial inequality. This meant more to him than his legacy as a baseball player. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962 and died of a heart attack in 1972. In 2005, he was given the congressional gold medal. The story of Jackie Robinson, his legacy, changed the world as we know it, not only for baseball but for the progression of equal rights in America. Jackie will never be forgotten and he will always be loved by fans all over the world for his tenacity, strength, and strong will to make positive changes to the world.
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