Nature v. Nurture

Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born on January 31, 1919, in Cairo, Georgia.

Breaking the color barrier, Jackie Robinson became the first African-American to play in

baseball's major leagues. Jackie was the youngest of five children and was raised in a

poverish household by his mother. He attended John Muir High School and Pasadena

Junior College, where he was an excellent athlete and played four sports: football,

basketball, track, and baseball. Jackie’s older brother, Matthew Robinson, inspired him

to pursue his talent and love for athletics. Jackie continued his education at the

University of California, Los Angeles, where he became the university's first student to

win varsity letters in four sports. In 1941, Robinson was forced to leave UCLA just shy of

graduation due to financial hardship. He moved to Honolulu, Hawaii, where he played

football for the semi-pro Honolulu Bears. His season with the Bears was cut short when

the United States entered into World War II. From 1942 to 1944, Robinson served as a

second lieutenant in the United States Army. His courage and moral objection to

segregation were precursors to the impact Robinson would have in major league

baseball.

He was the fifth child and fourth son of Mallie and Jerry Robinson, tenant

workers on the plantation of James Madison Sasser in Grady County, just a few miles

north of the Florida state line. Robinson's parents had a troubled marriage and Jerry

later left his wife and children behind for another woman. Jackie’s Grandparents did not

have any significant impact on his life as well. His mother took care of him and his

siblings all by herself and supported them greatly.