Jack Roosevelt Robinson ( A.K.A. Jackie) was born into a family of sharecroppers in 1919, in Cairo, Georgia. His mother, Mallie Robinson, raised Jackie and her other four children individually. They were the only black family on their block and their relationship only reinforced the racism they faced. The first baseball player to crack the color barrier of Major League Baseball that divided the sport for more than 50 years rose from this modest start.
Jackie Robinson's family in a group picture. 1926. Four year old Jackie Robinson. 1923. Jackie Robinson with two of his siblings. 1923.
Growing up in a large, single-parent family, Jackie excelled at all sports early in life and learned to make his own way. At UCLA Jackie became the first student in four sports to win varsity letters: baseball, basketball, football, and track. He had been selected to the All-American football team in 1941. After college Jackie had the tough decision to choose between which sport he wanted to persue and he ended up choosing Baseball because he was about to get married and simply wanted some money from the first team he could find.
Jackie Robinson with the UCLA track team. 1939.
“It kills me to lose. If I’m a troublemaker, and I don’t think that my temper makes me one, then it’s because I can’t stand losing. That’s the way I am about winning, all I ever wanted to do was finish first.” -Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson warming up for a track meet with UCLA.
Jackie appeared for one season in the Negro Baseball League in 1945, traveling with the Kansas City Monarchs throughout the Midwest. The Negro Leagues were a profesional baseball league for black players only and was not looked high upon when it came to profesional Baseball leagues at the time. However, Once Jackie entered this league he immediately made his presence known with the way he strengthened the Monarchs infield and brought a winning spirit to the team with a first year batting average of .345 and his amazing skill to steal bases with his mesmerizing speed.
This is a player card with Jackie on the Kansas City Monarchs. 1945.
“But if Mr. Rickey hadn’t signed me, I wouldn’t have played another year in the black league. It was too difficult. The travel was brutal. Financially, there was no reward. It took everything you make to live off.” -Jackie Robinson
A picture of Jackie right before his game was about to start. 1945.
Since 1889 when baseball was segregated, the Major Leagues had no African-American players at all. Jackie pioneered the integration of professional athletics in America when he was first donned a Brooklyn Dodger jersey. He bravely challenged the deep-rooted custom of racial segregation in both the North and the South by breaking the color barrier in baseball, the nation's pre-eminent sport all thanks to Branch Rickey. Branch Rickey was the man that was brave enough to let a black man in an all white sport when no one else had even darred to think of the idea.
This is a very hartwaming quote from Branch Rickey. 1947.
“But as I write these words now I cannot stand and sing the National Anthem. I have learned that I remain a black in a white world.” -Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson sliding to home plate. 1949.
This is a newspaper where Jackie Revealed the threats he was receiving for going into the MLB. 1949.
This is a death threat Jackie got from people that were against Jackie coming into the league. 1947.
This is a death threat Jackie got from people that were against Jackie coming into the league. 1947.
This is a short video of Jackie Robinson playing Baseball while he was on the Dodgers. This video really shows how skillfull Jackie was while in the MLB. 1948