Even the occasional fan has heard of Jackie Robinson. Because he was the first African American to play in the Major Leagues, he will forever be remembered for changing the face of baseball and ending segregation in professional sports. However, he was more than a baseball player. He played an intricate role in the advancement of black civil rights in America. More importantly still, he is an extraordinary example of an American hero. In April of 1997, Ken Burns told LIFE magazine, "Heroes are people who struggle and do more than what is asked of them and their particular set of skills... You are really looking for that which will make a deposit in the sum of human progress, and Jackie Robinson certainly does." (Goddard, 1997)
             Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born in Cairo, Georgia, on January 31, 1919. His father was a plantation worker and his mother was a house hand. Along with his three brothers and one sister, his father at six months old abandoned him. As a result, his mother moved the family to Pasadena, California. Although she would wash and iron clothes for the upper class, the family was dependent on welfare to make ends meet. Jackie, however, was never deprived of love or attention despite the family's poor financial situation.
             Although the state of California was not considered as racist as Georgia for the times, the rights of black people were still restricted and segregation was nonetheless prevalent. Yet Jackie's mother motivated her children by teaching them the ethics and values of dignity, confidence and self-respect. Such qualities would prove invaluable in Jackie's later life.
             Jackie's first experience with sports was with the game of soccer. As unlikely as it seems, even in the fourth grade his incredible athletic ability was apparent. Next came football, baseball, basketball, tennis, and track and it was obvious to every observer that he would someday be a sta...