Jackie Robinson Essay -- essays research papers

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 go them to California where it was easier for blacks to live and get work. In those days, life was truly sturdy for black people in the South. This upset young Jackie. He became very involved in sports. He played football, basketball, baseball game and ran track. In college he was a top football player. He left college before graduating.Jackie worked for the theme Youth Administration at a work camp plainly the camp was closed. In the fall of 1941, he joined the Honolulu Bears paid 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 t eam was made up of African American baseball players. He soon become one of the leagues top players but did kindred the low pay and constant traveling. He didnt want to make baseball his career. The Brooklyn Dodger president, Branch Rickey, had been looking for a black player to get down into the major leagues. Those leagues were closed to blacks at that time. In 1945, Robinson signed a resolution to play for a Dodgers farm team, the Montreal Royals. Many owners and sportswriters were against this. They ...