.Jackie Roosevelt Robinson: By: Keshawn Bullock

.
Jackie Roosevelt Robinson

By: Keshawn Bullock
Mrs.Beber
Today I will be telling you about the first African American baseball player. Jackie
Roosevelt Robinson. Robinson was born on January 31, 1919; in Cairo, GA. Mr. Robinson was
the youngest of 5 kids. His parents were Jerry and Mallie Robinson.
As Jackie attended John Muir High School at Muir Tech Mr. Robinson played several sport at
the varsity level and lettered in four of them football, baseball, basketball, and track. He played
shortstop and catcher on the baseball team, quarterback on the football team, and guard on
the basketball team. With the track and field squard, he won awards in the long jump .He was
also a member of the tennis team .He Achieve several scholarships to college.
In college he attended Pasadena Junior College. Were he continued his athletic career by
participating in basketball, football, and track. Also while at PJC, he was elected to the Lancers a
student-run police organization responsible for patrolling various school actives. That year
Robinson was one of ten students named to school’s order of the Mast and Dragger (Omicron
Mu Delta), awarded to students performing “outstanding service to the school and whose
scholastic and citizenship record is worthy of recognition”. On January 25, 1938, he was
arrested after vocally disputing the detention of a black friend by police. Robinson received a
two year suspended sentence but the incident along with other rumored run-ins Between
Robinson and police gave Robinson a reputation for combativeness in the face of racial
antagonism. Toward the end of his PJC Tenure Frank Robinson (to whom Robinson felt close
among his three brothers) was killed in a motorcycle accident. That inspired Jackie to continue
his career at UCLA.
While Jackie was a senior at UCLA Robinson meet his future wife Rachel Isum, a UCLA
freshman who was familiar with Robinson’s athletic career at PJC. In the spring semester of
1941, despite his mother’s and Isam reservations, Mr. Robinson left college shy of graduation.
He took a job as an assistant atelic director with the governments National Youth
Administration (NYA) in Atascadero, California. After the government ceased NYA operations,
Robinson traveled to Honolulu in the fall of 1941 to play football for semi-professional, racially
integrated Honolulu Bears. In December 1941 Mr. Robinson left the Bears to pursue a career as
a running back for the Los Angeles Bulldogs of the Pacific Coast Football League.
In 1942, Mr. Robinson was drafted and assigned to a segregated Army Cavalry Unit in Fort
Riley, Kanas. Having the requisite qualification, Mr. Robinson and several other black soldiers
applied for admission to an officer candidate school (OCS).Then they located at Fort Riley from
1942-1944, Mr. Robinson served as a second lieutenant in the United States Army. He never
saw combat ,however, Robinson was arrested and court-martialed during boot camp after he
refused to move to the back of a segregated bus was later acquitted of the charges and
received an honorable discharge. His courage and moral objection to segregation were
precursors to the input Robinson would have in major league baseball. After his discharge from
the army in 1944 Robinson played professional baseball.
At the time, the sport was segregated Negro leagues, but he was soon chosen by Branch
Rickey a vice president with the Brooklyn Dodgers, to help integrate major league baseball. He
joined the all-white Montreal Royals. He moved to Florida in 1946 to begin spring training with
the Royals and he played his 1st game on March 17 of that same year. He made his debut on
April 15, 1947, marked the first time an African-American athlete played in the major league.
Jackie Robinson voted 15th best athlete of the century. In 1947 Mr. Robinson was named rookie
of the year. MR. Robinson was an exceptional athlete .He was a famous baseball player. On
April 15, 1997, which was dubbed “Jackie Robinson day. “Major league baseball retired Mr.
Robinson’s number throughout the entire league. While no team will ever issue the number
again those players who wore 42 when it was retired were allowed to continue. Over ten
seasons he played in 6 World Series and contributed to the Dodgers 1955 World Championship.
He was selected for 6 consecutive all-stars games from 1949-1954. He was recipient of the
inaugural MLB rookie of the year award in 1949, the first black player so honored. Robinson
was inducted into the baseball hall of fame in 1962.He was the first black television analyst in
major league baseball, and the first black vice president of a major American corporation. In the
1960’s he helped establish the Freedom National bank, an African-American-owned financial
intuition based in Harlem, New York. He was the president Medal of Freedom and the
congressional Gold Medal.
Robinson became active in business continued to work as an activist for social change. He
worked for Choch Fall O’Nuts coffee company and restaurant chain .He served on the board of
the NAACP until 1967.
His wife Rachel Robinson nursing became professor at the Connecticut mental health center.
They had 3 kid’s Jackie Jr., Sharon, and David. Robinson stole home 19 in his career setting
league history.
He became the highest paid athlete in Dodgers history. His success in the major league
open doors for other African Americans players such as ; Satchel Paige, Willie Mays, and Hank
Aaron. In 1945 he played shortstop for Kansas City Monarchs in Negro league. That year
baseball integrated.
Final public appearance October 1972, throwing the ceremonial first pitch before game 2 of
the World Series. On April 15, 1947 he became first black man to play MLB and shattered the
sports color barrier forever .He retired on Jan 5, 1957. He died from heart problems and
diabetes complications on Oct. 24, 1972 in Stanford, Conn at 53 years old. Jackie Robinson will
be remembered forever and be an inspiration for many.

.Jackie Roosevelt Robinson: By: Keshawn Bullock

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Jackie Roosevelt Robinson

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