Jackie Robinson FBI Files

Description

Jackie Robinson: FBI Files and HUAC Testimony

Detailed Timeline of Events Related to Jackie Robinson and the FBI

Based on the provided source, the following timeline outlines the main events:

• 1946: Jackie Robinson makes history by signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers, breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball. This event is not directly detailed in the FBI files excerpt but serves as crucial context for his later activities.
• Circa Late 1940s (implied): Jackie Robinson becomes involved with various groups, including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). This involvement attracts the attention of the FBI.
• 1949: Jackie Robinson testifies before the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) regarding Communist Infiltration of Minority Groups. This testimony is a key event documented in the FBI files.
• Unknown Specific Dates (between 1949 and the time of the file compilation): The FBI gathers information, memos, reports from informants, miscellany, and articles concerning Jackie Robinson’s political activities. The FBI investigates whether Robinson has communist affiliations due to his association with certain groups. The compiled FBI files on Jackie Robinson grow to 131 pages, with approximately 90 discernible pages of information.
• Date of File Compilation (indicated by the “© 2024” at the bottom of the source): The FBI files covering Jackie Robinson are compiled and made available for download.

Cast of Characters

This cast of characters includes the principal people mentioned, directly or indirectly, in the provided source:

• Jackie Robinson: The central figure. An African American baseball player who broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball when he signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1946. He later became involved in political activities, particularly concerning civil rights, which led to the FBI monitoring his potential communist affiliations. He testified before the House Committee on Un-American Activities in 1949.
• Unidentified FBI Personnel: The source mentions “FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C.” and refers to the FBI’s concern and investigation into Robinson’s activities. While no specific agents are named, the FBI as an organization is a key entity in the context of these files. They were responsible for gathering information, writing memos and reports, and assessing Robinson’s potential communist ties.
• Informants (mentioned): The files contain “reports from informants,” indicating that the FBI relied on individuals providing information about Jackie Robinson’s activities and associations. These individuals are not named in the provided excerpt.
• Members of the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) (implied): While no specific members are named, this committee is mentioned as the body before which Jackie Robinson testified in 1949. They were investigating potential communist influence within the United States, including within minority groups.
• Members of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) (implied): Jackie Robinson’s activities with the NAACP are mentioned as one of the reasons for the FBI’s interest in him. While specific individuals are not named, the NAACP as an organization involved in civil rights advocacy is a relevant entity in understanding the context of the FBI’s concerns.

Jackie Robinson FBI Files

JACKIE ROBINSON FBI FILES 131 pages of files copied from FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C., covering Jackie Robinson. Robinson made history as the first African American to play baseball in the Major Leagues when he signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1946. Files contain approximately 90 discernable pages of various information, memos, reports from informants, miscellany, and articles mostly concerning Robinson’s political activities. The FBI would say Robinson wasn’t the subject of an FBI investigation; however the files shows the bureau was concerned whether or not he was a communist. Robinson caught the attention of the FBI as a result of activities with various groups, such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. In 1949 he testified before the House Committee on Un-American Activities at hearings regarding Communist Infiltration of Minority Groups