Jack Roosevelt Robinson example essay topic
Jackie's parents worked on a plantation for low wages. Life was a struggle for his family. One day Jack's father left and never came back... After this, Jackie's mother decided it was time for a change and moved the five children from Georgia to California. Jack's mother started ironing and washing to make the family money. She also worked as a servant.
The family sometimes didn't have two meals a day. Plain bread and sweet water was a treat. In the neighborhood they moved into, there were no African- American people. This is where Jackie first learned about racial hatred. People tried to make them feel so miserable they wanted to leave. African-American's even had to swim on separate days of the week at the local YMCA.
Even before high school, Jack resolved to not take insults without retaliating. Jackie was an average student in grade school. He helped his mother work to earn money, so he didn't have time for many other activities. A "C" average was enough for Jack to get into Pasadena Junior College. While attending there, Jack lettered in baseball, football, basketball and track. While at Pasadena Junior College, Jack's brother Frank, died in a motorcycle accident.
He was one of Jack's main forms of encouragement, and planned to attend every game. This event hit Jack very hard. Jack transferred to the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), where he met his future wife, Rachel Is um. Jack again lettered in the same four sports.
Jackie then quit college to help his mother by getting a full-time job. During this time, Jack was drafted into the Army. He was in the Army on limited service. He was on limited service because of an injury to his ankle while playing football at Pasadena Junior College. While in the Army, Jack was arrested for not sitting in the back of the bus where the African-American's were supposed to sit. Jack was also not allowed to play on the Army baseball team because of his race.
In the military, Jack was a Second Lieutenant. Jack was released from the Army and joined the Kansas City Monarchs, which was an all African-American baseball league. In 1945. the Brooklyn Dodgers signed Jack. He was the first African American to play in Major League Baseball. In 1946, Jackie married his college sweetheart Rachel. In 1947, he earned the title "Rookie of the Year".
Two years later, in 1949, he earned the title "Most Valuable Player". Jackie retired from baseball in 1962. Jackie Robinson had a lot of courage to be the first African-American to play Major League Baseball. Jack was strong and proud enough to take insults from other players and fans. When Jackie retired from baseball, he entered the business world. Jack helped to start Freedom Bank in 1964.
Jack wrote books and syndicated columns in newspapers. Jack had an active role in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's. Jack Roosevelt Robinson died of heart and lung disease on October 24.1972. His wife and three children surrounded him.
After Jack's death Rachel, his wife, started the Jackie Robinson Foundation. The foundation gives scholarships to minority students with troubled back rounds. Even after his death, Jackie continues to help African-Americans through this foundation. Besides being known for his athletic ability in baseball, Jackie Robinson taught the world about God, family, education and equality..