The Life of Jackie Robinson

An American Legend

By Kevin Anderson & Brandon Moser

Junior Division

In 1945, Jackie Robinson became the first African-American to play for a white professional baseball team. He played in major leagues for ten years then retired. Although he is most known for breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball, after retiring, Robinson dedicated his life to civil rights. He believed that the nation would only prosper when all citizens were able to enjoy the rights guaranteed by the Constitution. Jackie Robinson deserves to be recognized for his civil rights activism as much as for his sportsmanship.