Jackie Robinson was born in Cairo, Georgia on January 21st 1919. With a single mother, he grew up being the youngest of his six siblings. He and his siblings attended John Muir High School, and Jackie continued on afterwards to Pasadena Junior College. Through his school years, Robinson played four sports: basketball, track, football, and baseball. After being named the most valuable baseball player in his region, he began school at University of California and was the first student to gain varsity letters in four sports at once. Even as he was excelling in athletic programs, he was forced to drop out of school just before graduation due to his lack of money.
Jackie Robinson had a big part in the Civil Rights Movement. Between 1942 and 1944, Robinson served as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. During training, he was arrested and court martialed for refusing to move to the back of a segregated bus. After an honorable discharge, he then decided to play professional baseball. As part of the Brooklyn Dodgers, he experienced discrimination and hatred from fans, other teams, and even his teammates. Despite this unequal treatment, he continued to play, and became the highest paid Dodgers player in history.
Jackie Robinson was part of many causes that aided in the Civil Rights Movement. After he finished with baseball, he continued to be an activist for social change. He established Freedom National Bank in Harlem. He also served on the board of the NAACP until 1967. He was then inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He changed modern baseball in that, without him, African Americans would still be fighting to play in the major leagues. As a pro ballplayer and the first African American to be a part of the Baseball Hall of Fame, he encouraged other teams to integrate all races into baseball, the American pastime.