Jackie Robinson's 1944 Court-Martial

Contributed By
PBS Learning Media
Jackie Robinson's 1944 Court-Martial
In 1944, Jackie Robinson refused to move to the back of a military bus when instructed to do so by a civilian driver. In fact, there was an Army regulation in place prohibiting discrimination on Army vehicles operating on Army posts. Robinson was arrested, charged with insubordination, and court-martialed. During the court proceedings, Robinson was prohibited from being deployed. Meanwhile, the baseball club's director's were supporting order to integrate the Dodgers and find the team's first African American star.