Jackie Robinson

Though he was born in Cairo, Georgia, in 1919, Jackie Robinson grew up in Los Angeles, California. Although African-American athletes were not accepted in all sports leagues at this time, Jackie’s life would prove that athletes should be judged by their abilities and not by the color of their skin. Jackie would prove to be a star athlete. He was a star in not just one sport, but four: he ran track and played basketball, football, and baseball. Jackie began playing professional baseball in the Negro American Baseball League. But after two years, he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers. No other African-American had ever been allowed to play in the major leagues.

Not everyone thought that an African-American person should play in the major leagues. The fans and some of the other players treated Jackie very poorly. They were trying to get him to leave the league. The opposite happened: Jackie only worked harder and played harder. He managed to win the Rookie of the Year award and helped the Dodgers win the pennant. In 1949, he had the best batting average in the league and won the Most Valuable Player award.

Jackie continued to work hard and improve. He was also an excellent fielder and base runner. In the 10 years that Jackie played for the Dodgers, they won the pennant six times and the World Series championship once. In 1962, Jackie Robinson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.