Jackie Robinson (1919–72,) fully John Roosevelt Robinson, was an American baseball player and civil rights activist. He was the first African American to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era, breaking the color barrier in the sport.
Born in Cairo, Georgia, Robinson was the first black player to play major league baseball. After World War II, he became a star infielder and outfielder for the Brooklyn Dodgers (1947–56.) Known for his fierce competitiveness and skill at stealing home plate, he led the Dodgers to six National League pennants and one World Series victory (1955.)
Robinson was Rookie of the Year in 1947, and in 1949, he was league-batting champion and was named Most Valuable Player (MVP.) He retired in 1956 with a lifetime batting average of .311. He was primarily responsible for accepting black athletes in professional sports. After retiring from baseball, he became involved in the civil rights movement. He was a vocal advocate for equality and justice.
Robinson wrote of the pressures on him in his autobiography I Never Had It Made (1972.)
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Jackie Robinson
There’s not an American in this country free until every one of us is free.
—Jackie Robinson
Topics: Americans
The many of us who attain what we may and forget those who help us along the line we’ve got to remember that there are so many others to pull along the way. The farther they go, the further we all go.
—Jackie Robinson
Topics: Help
I’m not concerned with your liking or disliking me … All I ask is that you respect me as a human being.
—Jackie Robinson
Topics: Respect
A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.
—Jackie Robinson
The most luxurious possession, the richest treasure anybody has, is his personal dignity.
—Jackie Robinson
Baseball is like a poker game. Nobody wants to quit when he’s losing; nobody wants you to quit when you’re ahead.
—Jackie Robinson
Topics: Baseball
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