Jackie Robinson's Early Life

Jackie Robinson was born on January 31, 1919 in Cairo, Georgia. He didn't spend much time there, as he was only about six months old when his father left and his mother had them move to California to live with her brother until they could take care of themselves. Robinson was one of five children, making life a little bit harder for his single mother. Robinson attended Pasadena Junior College, where it wasn't the easiest to make friends. Since Jackie played sports, it was easier for him to connect and make friends with the other kids. After he graduated from Pasadena Junior College, Jackie attended UCLA. He went on to play four different sports and was the first student to win varsity letters in four sports.

Unfortunately Jackie was unable to finish his education due to financial issues and decided to join the army. Jackie joined the army in 1942 and became a second lieutenant in 1943. In 1944 Jackie faced court-martial because he refused an order to sit at the back of a military bus. The charges against Jackie were dismissed and he received an honorable discharge. After he left, Robinson took on professional baseball, joining the Kansas City Monarchs, his first step in making a big change in society as we now know it.

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Birthplace of Jackie Robinson: First African American in Major League Baseball, June 16th 2014. Accessed December 4th 2019. https://georgiahistory.com/ghmi_marker_updated/birthplace-of-jackie-robinson/.

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