Shortly after the bombings of Pearl Harbor in 1942, Jack was drafted to the Army. According to Richard Sisk, he served for two years and never saw combat. His military career ended after he was court-martialed in 1944 for not sitting in the back of a segregated bus. He faced a dishonorable discharge, but he won the case. The Army decided they had enough of his retaliation so they let him him go with an honorable discharge (“Army Struggle”).
This retaliation sparked interest for Jackie in the eyes of Branch Rickey, executive of the Brooklyn Dodgers. David Oshinsky says that Rickey was looking for an incredibly talented black baseball player who was educated, sober, and was used to playing and competing with whites; which Jackie Robinson was. Also, this player should not be a …show more content…
In 1962 and in his first year of eligibility, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Jackie wrote many autobiographies, weekly newspaper columns, was an actor in the movie The Jackie Robinson Story, and hosted a radio show. Politically, he spoke out for civil rights and was a strong supporter for Martin Luther King. A few years after he retired Robinson admitted to having diabetes, which would later kill him at the age of 53. He died on October 24th, 1972, just months after his number 42 was retired by the Dodgers.
Altogether, Jackie Robinson was and still is an inspiration for many people who didn’t believe they could achieve a certain goal because of a color barrier. His brave heart and disciplined attitude helped him to become a hero on and off the field. Jackie changed the way people thought about baseball by making people realize African-Americans were just as capable to play in the MLB as a white person. He was a huge part in the integration of baseball and the destruction of the color
This retaliation sparked interest for Jackie in the eyes of Branch Rickey, executive of the Brooklyn Dodgers. David Oshinsky says that Rickey was looking for an incredibly talented black baseball player who was educated, sober, and was used to playing and competing with whites; which Jackie Robinson was. Also, this player should not be a …show more content…
In 1962 and in his first year of eligibility, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Jackie wrote many autobiographies, weekly newspaper columns, was an actor in the movie The Jackie Robinson Story, and hosted a radio show. Politically, he spoke out for civil rights and was a strong supporter for Martin Luther King. A few years after he retired Robinson admitted to having diabetes, which would later kill him at the age of 53. He died on October 24th, 1972, just months after his number 42 was retired by the Dodgers.
Altogether, Jackie Robinson was and still is an inspiration for many people who didn’t believe they could achieve a certain goal because of a color barrier. His brave heart and disciplined attitude helped him to become a hero on and off the field. Jackie changed the way people thought about baseball by making people realize African-Americans were just as capable to play in the MLB as a white person. He was a huge part in the integration of baseball and the destruction of the color