An American hero is not just a person who goes out and fights for our country. It’s someone who makes a change and stands up for something that’s wrong. Decades ago, we had many “American Heroes” who fought and risked their lives day and night to change America. One of these American heroes is Jackie Robinson. Most of you know he fought for equal rights on the baseball field, but he did more than that. Jackie Robinson, born Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born on January 31, 1919 in Cairo, Georgia. He was the youngest of five children and was raised alone in poverty by his mother Mallie Robinson. He attended John Muir High School and Pasadena Junior College, where he excelled in football, basketball, track and baseball. Jackie Robinson won the area's Most Valuable Baseball Player award in 1938. Jackie was inspired by his older brother Matthew Robinson to promote his goals, talents and love of sports. Jackie completed her studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. He was the first student at the university to receive varsity letters in four sports. In 1941, Robinson had to leave UCLA due to financial problems just as he was about to graduate. He eventually moved to Honolulu, Hawaii and played football for the Honolulu Bears, but that didn't last long as the United States entered World War II. Robinson served as a second lieutenant in the United States Army from 1942 to 1944, but was honorably discharged because: he refused to sit in the back of a segregated bus during boot camp in 1944. Robinson began playing baseball professionally after being discharged from the army. He began playing in the Negro Leagues, because at that time the sport was segregated and the African Ame...... middle of paper...... career batting average of .311, he retired shortly after the trade to the Giants on January 5, 1957. After retirement, he continued to work as an activist for social change and worked at a corporation. He helped found Freedom Bank, an African-American owned and controlled corporation, and also worked as an executive for the Chock Full O'Nuts coffee company and restaurant chain. He served on the board of directors of the NAACP, and in 1967 he was the first African American to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame. Her number "42" was retired in 1972. On October 24, 1972 in Stamford Connecticut, Jackie Robinson died of heart problems and complications from diabetes. After his passing, his wife established the "Jackie Robinson Foundation" to help young people in need by providing scholarships and mentoring programs, as well as to honor all of the hard work and dedication he put in over the years. of his life..