Jackie Robinson
Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born on January 31, 1919. He was the youngest of five children and when he was 6 months old, his father left the family. His mother moved them from Cairo, Georgia to Pasadena, California where she had a brother there.
Although he faced struggles growing up, Jackie excelled in athletics. In 1939 he enrolled at the University of California, Los Angeles and became the first student to letter in four sports (football, basketball, track, and baseball).
After two years, he decided to leave UCLA because he was convinced that no amount of education would help a black man get a good job. He decided he would be better helping his mother and her financial burden. He was offered a job to play football for the semi-pro football team, the Honolulu Bears. The season ended in November and on December 5, 1941, Jackie was on a ship leaving Honolulu heading back to California. Two days later, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.
On April 3, 1942, Jackie joined the US Army. He went to officer candidate school and became a second lieutenant in January 1943. While in the Army, he experienced intense racial discrimination. One incident occurred on a bus where he was told by the driver to move to the back of the bus. Jackie knew that the Army had regulations prohibiting racial discrimination on any vehicle operating on an Army post, so he refused to move. Consequently, he was court-martialed for insubordination. However, in 1944, the charges were dropped and he received an honorable discharge.
While waiting for discharge, he met an African American man who had been a member of the Kansas City Monarchs, which was a professional negro baseball team. He told Jackie that there was money in baseball and the team was looking for players. At the time, baseball was segregated and African Americans and whites played in separate leagues. Jackie wrote to the team and they accepted him on a tryout basis for spring training. It was during his first year with the Monarchs that he was scouted by Brooklyn Dodgers president, Branch Rickey. Through Mr. Rickey, Jackie’s life and the course of sports in America was about to change.
Although he faced struggles growing up, Jackie excelled in athletics. In 1939 he enrolled at the University of California, Los Angeles and became the first student to letter in four sports (football, basketball, track, and baseball).
After two years, he decided to leave UCLA because he was convinced that no amount of education would help a black man get a good job. He decided he would be better helping his mother and her financial burden. He was offered a job to play football for the semi-pro football team, the Honolulu Bears. The season ended in November and on December 5, 1941, Jackie was on a ship leaving Honolulu heading back to California. Two days later, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.
On April 3, 1942, Jackie joined the US Army. He went to officer candidate school and became a second lieutenant in January 1943. While in the Army, he experienced intense racial discrimination. One incident occurred on a bus where he was told by the driver to move to the back of the bus. Jackie knew that the Army had regulations prohibiting racial discrimination on any vehicle operating on an Army post, so he refused to move. Consequently, he was court-martialed for insubordination. However, in 1944, the charges were dropped and he received an honorable discharge.
While waiting for discharge, he met an African American man who had been a member of the Kansas City Monarchs, which was a professional negro baseball team. He told Jackie that there was money in baseball and the team was looking for players. At the time, baseball was segregated and African Americans and whites played in separate leagues. Jackie wrote to the team and they accepted him on a tryout basis for spring training. It was during his first year with the Monarchs that he was scouted by Brooklyn Dodgers president, Branch Rickey. Through Mr. Rickey, Jackie’s life and the course of sports in America was about to change.