Jackie Robinson

Hello. My name is Jackie Robinson. A long, long time ago, on January 31st, 1919, I was born. I had four big brothers and a sister, and we loved to play together. We would run as fast as the wind. We would jump as high as we could. I loved playing all sorts of games. Running and jumping and throwing a ball made me feel so happy. Playing sports was my favorite thing to do in the whole wide world.

When I grew up, I had a very big dream. My dream was to play baseball on a big team, in the major leagues. I wanted to hit the ball far and run around the bases. But there was a rule that was not fair. The rule said that only players with white skin could play on the big teams. This made me feel sad. It was not right. But I kept my big dream in my heart and never gave up hoping.

One day, I met a kind man named Branch Rickey. He had a big baseball team called the Brooklyn Dodgers. Mr. Rickey thought the unfair rule was wrong, just like I did. He believed everyone should have a chance to play. He asked me to be on his team. On April 15th, 1947, he said, "Jackie, I want you to be the first Black player in the major leagues. But you will have to be very, very brave." I promised him I would be. I was so excited to finally play.

I put on my new uniform. It had the number 42 on the back. I walked onto the big green field, and I played my heart out. I ran fast, I caught the ball, and I hit it with all my might. Some people were not kind at first, but I remembered my promise to be brave. I just kept playing my best. I showed everyone that it does not matter what color your skin is. What matters is being a good person and a good teammate. Being brave and kind can help change the world and make it fair for everyone.