Ken Burns Films

Jack Roosevelt Robinson rose from humble origins to break the color barrier in baseball, becoming one of the most beloved men in America. Born to tenant farmers in rural Georgia and raised in Pasadena, California, Robinson excelled at athletics from an early age, eventually enrolling at UCLA, where he lettered in four sports and met his future wife, a nursing student named Rachel Isum. Facing racism and discrimination everywhere, Robinson refused to give in, defying Jim Crow segregation in Pasadena and, as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army, standing up for his rights when ordered to move to the back of a military bus.

In 1949, Robinson led the Dodgers to the World Series for the second time in three seasons and won the Most Valuable Player award. He also began to speak out, arguing calls with umpires and challenging opposing players. His outspokenness drew the scorn of fans, a once-adoring press, even his own teammates. He was accused of being “uppity,” a “rabble-rouser,” and urged to be “a player, not a crusader.”

Waitstill Sharp, a Unitarian minister, and Martha Sharp, a trained social worker, in February 1939, boldly commit to a life-threatening mission in Europe to assist refugees.