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The Importance Of Jackie Robinson To Society

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Jackie Robinson was important to society because he was the first African American to play baseball in Major League Baseball. Before Jackie Robinson, there was a separate Negro Baseball League. Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier.
Jackie Robinson was born on January 31, 1919 in Cairo, Georgia. He was the youngest of five children. Jackie’s dad left after Jackie was born. When Jackie was a year old, Jackie’s mom moved Jackie and his three brothers and sister to Pasadena, California.
Jackie loved to play sports. In high school he ran track, and played football, baseball, tennis and basketball. He was the quarterback on his football team and the star on the baseball team. Most of Jackie’s teammates were white. Jackie was teased …show more content…

In 1973, Robinson’s wife, Rachel, started the Jackie Robinson Foundation, a non-profit organization that gives college scholarships to minorities. The Foundation also protects the memory of Jackie Robinson as a baseball player and a civil rights pioneer.
On March 26, 1984, 12 years after Jackie Robinson’s death, President Ronald Reagan awarded Jackie Robinson with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest award given to a civilian for their significant contribution to society.
Twenty years after Jackie Robinson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, President George W. Bush also awarded Jackie Robinson with the Congressional Gold Medal for Robinson’s contributions to American History.
In 1997, Jackie Robinson’s number 42 was retired throughout Major League Baseball. This means that no baseball player will ever wear Number 42 again. This is the only time a jersey number has ever been retired from any professional sports league.
Jackie Robinson Day is celebrated every year on April 15. On this day, all baseball players and managers wear number 42 on their jersey to honor Jackie Robinson’s memory and his contribution to

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