Pop Culture
2
Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born on January 31, 1919, in Cairo, Georgia, the grandson of a slave and the son of a sharecropper. In 1920, his father, Jerry, abandoned his wife, Mallie, and their five children, Edgar, Frank, Mack, Willa Mae, and Jack. Mallie Robinson's uncle invited the family to move to Pasadena, California, and she packed up their belongings and boarded her “Freedom Train.” On a domestic’s salary she was able to purchase a four bedroom cottage at 121 Pepper Street. Having escaped bigotry, Mallie refused to accept abuse and instilled a positive identity, self-esteem, and an intense feeling of entitlement in her children.
Hear stories like this as you drive
ExploreHere reads historical markers out loud as you pass them: over 325,000 stories across the US. No account needed.
4.7 · 800+ ratings · Free
FIND IT
Daytona Beach, Florida · United States
