Jack Roosevelt “Jackie” Robinson (January 31, 1919 - October 24, 1972) became the first black Major League Baseball player of the modern era in 1947.[1] The Baseball Hall of Fame inducted Robinson in 1962 and he was a member of six World Series teams. Jackie earned six consecutive All-Star Game nominations and won several awards during his career. In 1947, Robinson won The Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award and the first MLB Rookie of the Year Award Award. Two years later, Jackie was awarded his first MVP National League MVP Award. In addition to his accomplishments on the field, Jackie Robinson was also a forerunner of the Civil Rights Movement. He was a key figure in the establishment and growth of the Freedom Bank, an African-American owned and controlled entity, in the 1960s. He also wrote a syndicated newspaper column for a number of years, in which he was an outspoken supporter of both Martin Luther King Jr. and less so Malcolm X.[2]

Robinson actively campaigned for a number of politicians, including both Democrat Hubert Humphrey, and Republican Richard Nixon.

In recognition of his accomplishments, Robinson posthumously received a Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.[2]

On April 15, 1997, Major League Baseball retired the number 42, the number Robinson wore, in recognition of his accomplishments both on the field and off the field.[3] In 1950, he was the subject of a film biography, The Jackie Robinson Story, in which he played himself. He became a political activist in his post-playing days