This book is dedicated to all the 2nd graders in Mrs. Hall's class. Thank you for letting me come read!!

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I am remembered for being the first African-American to play in Major League Baseball, and the man who broke the color barrier in 1947.

I was born January 31, 1919. I am the baby of five children. We lived in Cairo, Georgia with my single mother. As I got older, I went to John Muir High School and Pasadena Junior College.

While attending college, I played in four sports. I played football, basketball, track, and baseball. I was named the region's Most Valuable Player in baseball in 1938.

My older brother, Matthew, inspired me to pursue my talent and love for athletics, so I continued my education at the University of California, Los Angeles, where I became the first student to win varsity letters in four sports. I soon had to leave UCLA right before graduation because I didn't have much money.

After I had to leave UCLA, I moved to Honolulu, Hawaii and played for the semi-professional team, the Honolulu Bears. I played for the Bears for only about half a season due to the United States going into World War II.

For 2 years, I served as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Even though I was second lieutenant, I never saw combat. After these 2 years in the Army, I got in to a bit of trouble.

During boot camp in 1944, in Fort Hood, Texas, I was arrested for refusing to give up my seat for a white passenger on a segregated bus. But luckily for me, my charges were dropped.

After my charges were dropped, I finally began to follow my dreams, and started to play baseball professionally. At the time I started playing, baseball was still segregated and blacks and whites played on separate leagues.

I was chosen by Branch Rickey, the president of the Brooklyn Dodgers, to help bring the black and whites together in major league baseball. After he and I talked, I decided to join the all-white Montreal Royals, which was a minor league team that held players for the Dodgers, in 1946.

I later moved to Florida to begin spring training with the Royals, and soon played my first game in Ebbets Field for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947. Doing this, I became the first black player to compete in the major leagues.

My coach knew that there was going to be issues for me with racism from people in the away games. He told me that it would be better if I didn't try to fight back and I keep my cool. My coach would test me by saying racial slurs and seeing how I reacted to them. I knew he didn't mean them, so they didn't bother me.

Even though there was still racial abuse, I had a great start with the Royals. I had a batting average of .349 and a .985 fielding percentage. I ended up being put in a higher position on my team and made history as the first African-American man on a major league team.

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