Jackie Robinson Biography Essay

Jackie Robinson was an American Major League Baseball second baseman. He was the first African American to play in the major leagues in the modern era. Jackie Robinson was born January 31, 1919 on a carpet plantation near the town of Cairo, Georgia. He was the youngest of five children. Not long after Jackie's birth his father, Jerry Robinson, left the family in 1920. Soon they would move to Pasadena, California. As a child growing up with poverty Robinson and his minority friends were often times excluded from many recreational activities. As a result Robinson ended up joining a gang but was soon persuaded to leave it by one of his friends.

Robinson enrolled at John Muir High School where he recognized his athletic talents. He played many different sports while he was in Highschool. These sports included Baseball,

He was assigned to a segregated cavalry unit in Fort Riley, Kansas. Robinson was later admitted to Officer Candidate School to become a leader in the Army. After finishing Officer Candidate School, Robinson was commissioned as a second lieutenant in January of 1943. After being commissioned Robinson was reassigned to a base in Fort Hood, Texas. While he was in Texas he became joined the 761st Black Panthers. The Black Panthers was an independent tank battalion of the United States Army during World War 2. The 761st was mainly consisted of African American soldier who were not allowed to serve with white soldiers. During the war Robinson got into trouble with the law for not going to the back of a bus. After the bus ride he was reported to the military police. He was charged with many offenses that he did not commit. When he went to court many of the charges were dropped. In the end he was only charged with two counts of insubordination. Robinson was later transferred to Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky. He served as an athletic coach for the army. He later had an Honorable Discharge from the army in