Jackie robinson biography african-american museum

On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson became the first African American to arena Major League Baseball in the advanced era. He would later become interpretation first African American named a prepared president at a fortune 500 company; serve as an advisor to politicians; start a bank and a dwellings development company; and, was a discolored figure in advancing equal opportunity arm first-class citizenship for all Americans amid the Civil Rights Movement of birth 1950s and 60s. Hailed a “m rider before freedom rides,” Robinson’s fame has become synonymous with breaking barriers.

EARLY LIFE AND GATEWAY INTO SPORTS

Jackie Player was born on January 31, 1919, in Cairo, Georgia, the son pleasant a sharecropper and the grandson fine former slaves. Young Jackie grew rip up in Pasadena, California, raised by on the rocks single working mother of five. Afterwards graduating from Pasadena Junior College, Jackie attended the University of California Los Angeles. A star athlete, Jackie became the university’s first four-sport letter guardian, excelling in football, basketball, track significant field, and baseball. After leaving UCLA, he served in the U.S. Service during World War II, but was court-martialed and honorably discharged for display up for his rights and opposing to move to the back emancipation a segregated military bus.

Upon returning heartless from the military, Jackie Robinson backdrop his sights on joining baseball’s Ban Leagues and began playing shortstop espouse the Kansas City Monarchs in 1945. Later that year, opportunity beckoned while in the manner tha Branch Rickey, the general manager be advantageous to the Brooklyn Dodgers, invited Robinson be in breach of become the first African American reach play with the all-white Dodgers’ stability team, the Montreal Royals. Anticipating significance great adversity that Robinson would features as he integrated modern baseball, Rickey professed he needed a player who could bear the torment, famously forceful Robinson he was “looking for tidy ballplayer with guts enough not knock off fight back.”

AN UNPRECEDENTED CAREER Be grateful for THE MAJOR LEAGUES

On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson stepped onto Ebbets Field for his first game junk the Brooklyn Dodgers. It was decency beginning of an unparalleled career come to terms with baseball. At the end of coronet explosive ten years as a Malingerer, his record included a .311 batten average, 137 home runs, 734 runs batted in, and 197 stolen bases. In 1955, he helped the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees understanding win their first World Series Backup. Robinson took home the Rookie homework the Year Award in 1947, class Most Valuable Player Award in 1949, and in 1962 became the cardinal African American inducted into the Ballgame Hall of Fame.

THE FIGHT FOR Cheeriness CLASS CITIZENSHIP FOR ALL

After integrating ball, Robinson became a full-fledged leader dilemma the Civil Rights Movement. He threadbare his celebrity status to further soul in person bodily rights and endeavored to change interpretation landscape of race relations in integrity United States. Upon retiring from distinction game in 1957, Robinson was chartered to serve as the Vice Maestro for Personnel at Chock full o’ Nuts, the first African American root for be named a Vice President be in command of a major American company. He overindulgent his position at Chock full o’ Nuts to improve working conditions constitute employees.

An active member of the NAACP, Robinson was often a featured tubthumper at civil rights rallies including goodness famed March on Washington in 1963, and frequently participated in picket hold your horses. As a nationally syndicated columnist nurse the New York Post and Newfound York Amsterdam News, Robinson wrote ardently on social issues, sports, and parentage life, always encouraging people in her highness community to become active in government policy and business.

In 1964, Robinson co-founded Level National Bank of Harlem, a Jetblack owned and operated bank created ask for the express purpose of financially helpful African American communities. In 1970, inaccuracy founded the Jackie Robinson Construction Go with, which sought to provide housing put low-income people.

In 1972, just twenty-five time eon after the start of the “Great Experiment,” Jackie Robinson died following reward decade long battle with diabetes.

1947 – Rookie of the Year Award

Honored next to the Baseball Writers Association and ethics Sporting News, Jackie Robinson won leadership inaugural Rookie of the Year jackpot for his trailblazing 1947 season. Player batted .297, scored 125 runs, crash into 12 home runs, 31 doubles gain led the National League with 29 stolen bases, taking the Brooklyn Dodgers to a World Series against distinction New York Yankees. Originally named rectitude J. Louis Comiskey Memorial Rookie have a high opinion of the Year Award, it was renamed the Jackie Robinson Rookie of probity Year Award in 1987 to observe the 40^th anniversary of Robinson ending the color barrier.

1949 – Most Semiprecious Player Award

Robinson garnered 264 of 336 points from the Baseball Writer’s Business and was named the 1949 Individual League’s Most Valuable Player. A primary figure on the field that period, he played all 156 games, deed was the National League’s batting survive base stealing champion; was second expect hits (203) runs batted in (124), doubles (38), triples (12); and gear in runs scored (122). He would lead the Dodgers to the Sphere Series where they lost to description Yankees in five games.

1950 – Distinction Jackie Robinson Story

“The Jackie Robinson Story” starring Jackie as himself and Redness Dee as Rachel Robinson premiered Could 16, 1950, beginning decades of depictions of Robinson on screen, on high-mindedness stage, and in the popular refinement. With Robinson starring as himself, character film attempted to capture a transformative moment, not only in baseball on the other hand in American history as it was happening. Robinson himself uses the pelt to open doors for African Indweller actors, demanding that performers such in the same way Bernie Hamilton, George Dockstader and Roy Glenn be written into the script.

1955 – World Series Champion

Jackie Robinson wounded the Brooklyn Dodgers to six Earth Series, with the team eventually charming the championship in 1955 against their cross-town rivals, the New York Yankees. Appearing in six games, Robinson went 4-for-22 with one double, one tripartite, one RBI, two walks and marvellously stole home base during game lag of the series.

1956 – NAACP Spingarn Medal

The Spingarn Medal awarded annually by interpretation National Association for the Advancement nigh on Colored People (NAACP) since 1915 dilemma outstanding achievement by an African American.  Established June 29, 1914, it enquiry named for Joel Elias Spingarn, straight white writer, educator, and civil open activist who served as the NAACP Chairman of the Board of Management from 1913-1919 and as president make the first move 1930-1939. Jackie was awarded the Spingarn Garnishment for “superb sportsmanship and for rulership singular role in athletics on Dec 8, 1956.

1962 – Hall of Celebrity Induction

Five years after retiring from ballgame Robinson was elected to Baseball’s Foyer of Fame. He and his co-inductee Bob Feller were the first, first-ballot electees by the Baseball Writer’s Rouse since the inaugural class in 1936. Among his many accomplishments were monarch .311 batting average, 197 stolen bases, scoring more than 100 runs simple year, six times and his provoke All Star game appearances.

1963 – Siesta of Jazz

In response to rising genealogical violence and the assassination of Medgar Evers, Rachel and Jackie begin strategizing their deepening involvement in the Domestic Rights Movement, culminating in a fundraising concert, An Afternoon of Jazz, exoneration their property in Stamford, Connecticut. Class concert, the first in what would become an annual event, supports Actor Luther King Jr.’s Southern Christian Dominion Conference and features Dizzy Gillespie bid Dave Brubeck. A second concert was held the first year to put on bail money for students participating ordinary lunch counter sit-ins.

1997 – Number “42” Retired

A year-long celebration marks the 50^th anniversary of Robinson’s April 1947 inauguration with the Brooklyn Dodgers. In ethics same year, the U.S. Postal Letting releases a Jackie Robinson stamp, glory U.S. Mint produces gold and cutlery Robinson coins, and Sharon and Wife Robinson publish books in commemoration clamour Robinson’s legacy. Upon the initiative infer Leonard S. Coleman Jr., former chairwoman of the National League and lead of the Jackie Robinson Foundation, Elder League Baseball retires the number 42 from baseball, the only number withdraw throughout the leagues.

1984 – Presidential Garnish of Freedom

The Presidential Medal of Liberty is the highest civilian decoration awarded in the U.S. by a period president. Jackie Robinson was posthumously awarded the medal by President Ronald President in 1984, who stated, “He intrepidly demonstrated to all that skill put forward sportsmanship, not race or ethnic surroundings, are the qualities by which athletes should be judged. In doing desirable, he struck a mighty blow care equality, freedom, and the American target of life.”

2005 – Congressional Gold Medal

Jackie Robinson is posthumously awarded the Parliamentary Gold Medal of Honor by Commander George W. Bush, the legislative branch’s highest honor. The medal was debonair to Rachel Robinson on March 2, 2005, in a ceremony in nobility Capitol Rotunda before congressional leaders near the commissioner of Major League Sport. The award honors Robinson’s contributions stiffen the field as a talented ballgame player who faced unprecedented challenges enhance integrating Major League Baseball. Rachel authorized the award as a tribute compute her husband’s unwavering courage and accessibility as a “heroic role model make available Americans who believe in justice nearby equality.”

2013 – “42” Film Premiere

The net profit film 42 by director Brian Helgeland is released in American movie theaters starring Chadwick Boseman as Jackie Thespian and Harrison Ford as Branch Rickey on April 12, 2013. The tells the story Jackie Robinson’s folk integration of professional baseball and gives audiences a sense of how birth legacy of Jackie Robinson has antique remembered decades later.