Jackie Robinson: His Life and Legacy
Jack Roosevelt Robinson was a star athlete before the Dodgers, or even the Monarchs. But do you think Jackie Robinson only made a name in baseball? Think again! He was also an actor, businessman and author, and he is regarded as a champion for civil rights.
Join us Thursday, April 7, at 6:30 p.m. to discuss the life and legacy of this great man and learn about the Jackie Robinson Society.
Robinson was born on January 31, 1919, in Cairo, Ga.
Robinson attended University of California.
He held the National Junior College broad jump record.
Robinson married his wife, Rachel Anetta Isum, in 1946.
Robinson joined major league baseball in 1947 and became MVP in 1947.
Robinson retired from baseball in 1956.
He played himself in The Jackie Robinson Story in 1950, opposite actress Ruby Dee.
He owned a men's clothing store from 1952 through 1958 on 125th Street in New York City's Harlem neighborhood.
He became the vice president for personnel at Chock Full o'Nuts in 1957, the first African-American to hold a senior position at a major American company.
Robinson was a Republican who served as a national director of Nelson Rockefeller's failed bid for the U.S. presidency.
He wrote an autobiography titled I Never Had It Made.
In 1999 Time named Jackie Robinson one of its 100 most influential people in the 20th century.