Jackie was born in 1919 to sharecropper parents Jerry and Mallie Robinson. When Jackie was an infant, his father left the family leaving Mallie to raise their five children on her own. When Jackie turned one, Mallie moved the family to Pasadena, California where Jackie spent the remainder of his childhood. Growing up without a father, Jackie learned at a very early age how to make his way through life without the help of others. Being the only African American family on the block, the Robinson's encountered a lot of prejudice which only strengthened their bond as a family (CMG Worldwide, 2011).
In 1933, Jackie attended Muir Technical High School where he excelled in track, football, baseball, and basketball. Upon graduation, Jackie attended Pasadena Junior College where he continued to excel in sports and set many school records. In 1938, Jackie was named the regions Most Valuable Player (MVP). In 1939, Jackie continued his education at UCLA where he was one of the first black athletes to be awarded a full athletic scholarship. While at UCLA, Jackie became the first student to win varsity letters in four sports. In 1941, Jackie was forced to leave UCLA just shy of graduating due to financial hardships, despite his athletic success. He moved to Honolulu, Hawaii where he played for the Honolulu Bears, a semi-professional football team in the Negro League (California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office, 2013). |
Jackie was drafted into the United States Army in 1942 when the United Stated entered into World War II. He was stationed in a segregated calvary in Kansas. While stationed in Kansas, Jackie and other black soldiers applied for Officer Candidate School (OCS) and were only accepted after much fighting and debate. Once he completed OCS he was commissioned as a second lieutenant. From 1942 to 1944, Robinson served as second lieutenant however he never experienced the front lines. In 1944, Robinson refused to move to the back of a segregated bus during training. He was arrested and court-martialed. Later that year, Jackie was acquitted of the charges and received an honorable discharge (Weidhorn, 1993).
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On February 10, 1946, Jackie married Rachel Isum, whom he met while attending UCLA. Later that year, they welcomed their first son Jack Robinson, Jr. Four years later they welcomed their daughter Sharon and in 1952 their third and final child, David, was born (Kennedy, 2013). |