Throughout his professional career, Jackie Robinson was criticized for being the first "black" player to play the game. Not only was Jackie Robinson successful in responding to the criticism, but he also forever changed the face of America's greatest past. With his entry into the MLB, he paved the way for great black players like Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, Willie Mays and Ozzie Smith, to name a few. By breaking the color barrier in baseball, Robinson not only strove to become a great player on the field, but also to inspire the black community on the field with his humility and drive to advance in an era where black were not considered “equal”. ".Jackie Robinson was one of the most profound people to ever walk this earth. Robinson developed a reputation as a man who never tolerated insults to his dignity (Kahn 6). of his accomplishments was his entry into the major leagues and stands as one of the most remarkable and inspiring achievements in sports history When Robinson became the first black to play in Major League Baseball, he. forever changed Americans' views on racism. Robinson was born the youngest of five children near Cairo, Georgia, on January 31, 1919. Robinson's father, a sharecropper, left the family when Robinson died. was only about 2 years old His mother, Mallie McGriff Robinson, moved to Pasadena, California, to find work (James 5) Trouble found Robinson at a young age, when he became a member of the gang. Pasadena (7). He played several sports at this school: athletics, baseball, football and basketball. His biggest inspiration was probably his older brother Matthew. He was a shortstop and catcher on the baseball team, quarterback on the football team, guard... middle of paper ... with a lifetime batting average of .311. He appeared in six All-Star Games and six World Series with the Dodgers. At the 1972 World Series, which commemorated the 25th anniversary of his rookie season, Robinson, diabetic, physically deteriorating but still crusading, said he hoped to live long enough to see blacks in leadership positions in the baseball. Nine days later, he died of a heart attack at the age of 53. Today, with the dominance of black players in professional sports, it seems inconceivable that just 50 years ago, not only were black athletes absent from all traditional sporting arenas. , it simply wasn't an option and even illegal in some states. His legacy is the inspiration he gives to athletes and people of all colors. Robinson is heroic, in part because of the excellence of his athletic achievements and, just as importantly, because of his political commitment to racial equality..