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Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson will always be remembered as the first African American man to play Major League Baseball. Yet, even before then, he was battling racism in the army. In 1942, Jackie joined the U.S army segregated cavalry unit and his applications to Officer Candidate School were always rejected until Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Joe Luis Intervened. He was later court-martialed for refusing to move to the back of the bus in a Texas location notorious for its racial discrimination. Still, his defense won due to lack of sufficient evidence. Robinson medically retired from the army after a bone chip in his ankle made it impossible for him to continue serving his country.