Ask anyone around, and they will recognize the name “Jackie Robinson”. They may not be a baseball pundit, or a civil rights historian, but everyone knows about Jackie Robinson. Jackie, born January 31, 1919, in Cairo, Georgia, is one of the most renowned baseball players and civil rights activists ever. He was a world famous athlete, a leader in the civil rights movement, a businessman, a soldier, and overall a great man. His childhood and early life were very unique, and raised him into the amazing athlete he was destined to be.
As a child, he was raised in poverty by his mother. Jackie Robinson was the youngest of five children. His mother worked various jobs to keep her family afloat. As a teenager, Jackie had a lot of free time because of his family’s indigence. Consequently, Jackie tried to join a local gang, but his friends convinced him not to. One of his possible inspirations or role models from a young age was his brother. His brother, Matthew Robinson, won a silver medal in the 200m dash at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games. Jackie Robinson attended John Muir High School, and later went on to attend the
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Jackie never could retaliate. When Jackie was first signed by the Dodgers, many of his teammates refused to play or even interact with him. Leo Durocher, the Dodgers general manager, was a supporter of Jackie. When he heard that Jackie was not being accepted by his teammates, Durocher famously said “I would sooner trade them than Robinson.” This message set the tone for Jackie’s tenure with the Dodgers. While fans and opposing players still threatened Jackie and his family, his teammates were at his side the entire time. One time, after Jackie nearly broke down into tears from fans jeering and harassing him, team captain Pee Wee Reese went and put his arm around Jackie. That move was and still is famous in the baseball