Since 2004, April 15 has been a regular date on the baseball calendar when Major League Baseball pauses to honor Jackie Robinson.
Every player wears Robinson’s famous No. 42 in Dodger Blue. Tribute videos play on big screens. The announcers talk about his bravery and how he stood tall in the face of racism.
Jackie Robinson had an incredible 10-year career in Major League Baseball.
In 1949, he became the first Black player to win the National League’s Most Valuable Player award.
Robinson played in six World Series and helped the Dodgers win it all in 1955. In 1962, he was honored with a spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame, making it in on his very first try.
Jackie Robinson’s Wife, Rachel Robinson’s 102 Years Of Living Boldly, Giving Back, And Leading Change
Rachel Robinson, who celebrated her 102nd birthday on July 20, 2024, is much more than the wife of baseball icon Jackie Robinson.
She’s a pioneer in her own right whose life has been full of meaningful work in medicine, civil rights, and giving back to her community.
Born in Los Angeles in 1922 as Rachel Isum, she grew up in a time when chances for Black women were few and far between.
But that didn’t stop her. She followed her passion for healthcare and became a nurse.
She went to Manual Arts High School and later UCLA, where she crossed paths with Jackie Robinson in 1941, just before he left the university to begin his baseball journey.
Rachel Robinson married Jackie in 1946, just a year before he made history as the first Black player in Major League Baseball.
Together, they raised three children – Jackie Jr., Sharon, and David. David later became a father to ten children of his own, growing the Robinson legacy even further.
Jackie Robinson's wife Rachel Robinson turned 102 years old, and still looks amazing🙌🏾 pic.twitter.com/yf62TDBzDI
— CultureCentral (@CultureCentral1) April 9, 2025
When Jackie retired from baseball in 1956, Rachel was already a skilled nurse.
She again continued her education and, in 1959, earned a master’s degree in psychiatric nursing from New York University.
After Jackie Robinson passed away from a heart attack in 1972 at just 53 years old, Rachel Robinson channeled her grief into purpose.
She launched the Jackie Robinson Development Corporation, a real estate company focused on creating affordable housing for low and moderate income families.
Then, in 1973, she also founded the Jackie Robinson Foundation, a nonprofit committed to helping Black students succeed through scholarships and leadership programs.
Since then, the foundation has helped more than a thousand minority students, achieving an outstanding 97% graduation rate.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- In 1942, Robinson was drafted into the Army and placed in a segregated cavalry unit stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas.
- After leaving the Army, Robinson had a short stint back with his former football team, the Los Angeles Bulldogs.
- Starting in 1963, Rachel and Jackie Robinson began hosting legendary jazz concerts at their home in Connecticut.
