Jack Roosevelt Robinson rose from humble origins to cross baseball’s colour line and become one of the most beloved men in America. A fierce integrationist, Robinson used his immense fame to speak out against the discrimination he saw on and off the field, angering fans, the press, and even teammates who had once celebrated him for “turning the other cheek.” After baseball he was a widely-read newspaper columnist, divisive political activist, and tireless advocate for civil rights, who later struggled to remain relevant as diabetes crippled his body, and a new generation of leaders set a more militant course for the civil rights movement.
Jack Roosevelt Robinson rose from humble origins to break the color barrier in baseball, becoming one of the most beloved men in America. Born to tenant farmers in rural Georgia and raised in Pasadena, California, Robinson excelled at athletics from an early age, eventually enrolling at UCLA, where he lettered in four sports and met his future wife, a nursing student named Rachel Isum. Facing racism and discrimination everywhere, Robinson refused to give in, defying Jim Crow segregation in Pasadena and, as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army, standing up for his rights when ordered to move to the back of a military bus.
Jack Roosevelt Robinson rose from humble origins to break the color barrier in baseball, becoming one of the most beloved men in America. Born to tenant farmers in rural Georgia and raised in Pasadena, California, Robinson excelled at athletics from an early age, eventually enrolling at UCLA, where he lettered in four sports and met his future wife, a nursing student named Rachel Isum. Facing racism and discrimination everywhere, Robinson refused to give in, defying Jim Crow segregation in Pasadena and, as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army, standing up for his rights when ordered to move to the back of a military bus.
Jackie Robinson’s tremendous baseball skill, strength of character and insistence on equality made him the perfect choice for Branch Rickey, the manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, in his search for a black player with the talent and fortitude to integrate Major League Baseball. On April 15, 1947, Robinson, wearing the number 42, became the first African American player in the Major Leagues in more than half a century. He faced slurs, threats and abuse, as fans and managers taunted him, pitchers threw at his head, and runners tried to spike him, but he suppressed his natural instinct to fight back. Despite the torments and pressure, Robinson performed spectacularly on the field, helping the Dodgers clinch the National League pennant and winning the first ever “Rookie of the Year” award.
Jackie Robinson’s tremendous baseball skill, strength of character and insistence on equality made him the perfect choice for Branch Rickey, the manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, in his search for a black player with the talent and fortitude to integrate Major League Baseball. On April 15, 1947, Robinson, wearing the number 42, became the first African American player in the Major Leagues in more than half a century. He faced slurs, threats and abuse, as fans and managers taunted him, pitchers threw at his head, and runners tried to spike him, but he suppressed his natural instinct to fight back. Despite the torments and pressure, Robinson performed spectacularly on the field, helping the Dodgers clinch the National League pennant and winning the first ever “Rookie of the Year” award.
In 1949, Jackie Robinson led the Dodgers to the World Series for the second time in three seasons and won the Most Valuable Player award. He also began to speak out, arguing calls with umpires and challenging opposing players. His outspokenness drew the scorn of fans, a once-adoring press, even his own teammates. He was accused of being “uppity,” a “rabble-rouser,” and urged to be “a player, not a crusader.”
In 1949, Jackie Robinson led the Dodgers to the World Series for the second time in three seasons and won the Most Valuable Player award. He also began to speak out, arguing calls with umpires and challenging opposing players. His outspokenness drew the scorn of fans, a once-adoring press, even his own teammates. He was accused of being “uppity,” a “rabble-rouser,” and urged to be “a player, not a crusader.”
As the civil rights movement he had once seemed to embody became more militant, its demands more strident, Jackie Robinson was accused of being out of touch – an Uncle Tom. Yet even as diabetes crippled his body and unspeakable tragedy visited his home, Robinson continued to fight for first-class citizenship for all African Americans. “Jackie Robinson,” Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “was a sit-inner before sit-ins, a freedom rider before freedom rides.
As the civil rights movement he had once seemed to embody became more militant, its demands more strident, Jackie Robinson was accused of being out of touch – an Uncle Tom. Yet even as diabetes crippled his body and unspeakable tragedy visited his home, Robinson continued to fight for first-class citizenship for all African Americans. “Jackie Robinson,” Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “was a sit-inner before sit-ins, a freedom rider before freedom rides.
