Willingboro Township Public Schools

Jackie Robinson was born in 1919, in Cairo, Georgia. In 1944 while serving as a second lieutenant in the United States Army, he was arrested and court-martialed for refusing to give up his seat and move to the back of a segregated bus. He was acquitted of the charges and received an honorable discharge. His courage and moral objection to racial segregation were an indication of the impact Jackie Robinson would have in Major League Baseball. Jackie Robinson began playing in the Negro Leagues, but he was soon chosen by Branch Rickey, president of the Brooklyn Dodgers, to help integrate Major League Baseball. In 1947, Jackie Robinson took the first steps toward integrating baseball when he signed a contract to play with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Jackie Robinson was the first African-American major-leaguer. With his help, the Brooklyn Dodgers won 6 pennants in his ten seasons.