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Jackie Robinson was
born on January 31, 1919, in Cairo, Georgia, the grandson of
a slave. Jackie was the youngest of five children. When he
was six months old, his father deserted the family. His
mother moved them to California where it was easier for
blacks to live and get work. In those days, life was very
hard for black people in the South. This upset young Jackie.
He became very involved in sports. He played football,
basketball, baseball and ran track. In college he was a top
football player. He left college before
graduating.
Jackie worked for
the National Youth Administration at a work camp but the
camp was closed. In the fall of 1941, he joined the Honolulu
Bears professional football team and then was drafted into
the Army. While stationed in Kansas with the Army, he worked
with Joe Louis, a famous boxer, to fight unfair treatment of
black people in the military.
After leaving the
Army, Robinson joined the Kansas City Monarchs. They were a
team in the Negro League. This team was made up of African
American baseball players. He soon become one of the leagues
top players but did like the low pay and constant traveling.
He didn't want to make baseball his career. The Brooklyn
Dodger president, Branch Rickey, had been looking for a
black player to bring into the major leagues. Those leagues
were closed to blacks at that time. In 1945, Robinson signed
a contract to play for a Dodgers farm team, the Montreal
Royals. Many owners and sportswriters were against this.
They thought bringing blacks into the league would destroy
major league baseball.
At first it was very
difficult. During spring training in Florida, Robinson had
to ride in the back of the bus and some games were even
canceled because he was playing. Even so, he was a great
player and when Rickey wanted to move him up to the Dodgers,
even though a petition was passed around the players trying
to ban him from playing, hardly anyone signed it. Things
didn't get any easier though. The St. Louis Cardinals
threatened to go on strike. Pitchers often threw the ball
directly at Robinson, base runners tried to spike him, and
people called him all sorts of bad names. He even received
hate mail, death threats, and warnings that his baby boy
would be kidnapped. But, gradually, the fans and players
realized how good he was at baseball. They started coming
just to see him play.
Jackie had agreed to
hold his temper back that first year of play but after that,
he became angry when people made remarks about being an
African American often getting in fights with officials or
other players. He became very active in civil rights causes
and helped many black players in the league. Jackie
continued to play baseball until 1957. At that point, his
health was declining and diabetes took away his sight in one
eye and reduced his sight in the remaining eye.
After his retirement
Robinson became a successful businessman and active
supporter of political causes, devoting many of his efforts
to the pursuit of a better life for African
Americans.
Robinson was elected
to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. Jackie died on October
24, 1972.
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Famous Biographies
