Jackie Robinson was born on January 31, 1919, in Cairo, Georgia (biography.com). He was the youngest of five children, and was raised in relative poverty by a single mother (biography.com). He eventually became the first black athlete to play Major League Baseball. This shows how tough it was for him to succeed. Without his mother and siblings picking him up all the time, he probably would not have broken the color barrier. He once said, “I just wanted to be treated fairly,” (Kashatus, 1). Jackie Robinson’s life was influenced by his early life. His major accomplishments to American society, including being the first black athlete to play Major League Baseball, helped him earn his place in history as an important African American.
First, Jackie Robinson had to go through many hardships to become the person he was in life. He attended John Muir High School and Pasadena Junior College (biography.com). He was an excellent athlete, playing four sports (biography.com). After junior college, Robinson
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Robinson also became a vocal champion for African-American athletes, civil rights, and other social and political causes. He publicly called out the Yankees as a racist organization for not having broken the color barrier five years after he began playing with the Dodgers (biography.com). Robinson became a hero of the sport. He was an outstanding base stealer, setting many records (biography.com). According to his manager Leo Durocher, “This guy didn’t just come to play. He come to beat ya,” (history.com). He had very many achievements and did so much for the black community. Robinson retired from baseball in 1957 (history.com). He later died on October 24, 1972 due to heart problems and diabetes complications. At Robinson’s funeral Jesse Jackson said, “When Jackie took the field, something reminded us of our birthright to be free,” (history.com). He truly broke many barriers and had an excellent