Near Cairo in Grady County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)

Birthplace of Jackie Robinson

First African American in Major League Baseball

Photographed by David Seibert, January 24, 2010

1. Birthplace of Jackie Robinson Marker

Inscription. Robinson was born here on January 31, 1919 before he and his family moved to California in 1920. After attending U.C.L.A., serving in the U.S. Army, and playing in the Negro American Baseball and International Leagues, Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, breaking major league baseball’s color barrier. Adding to his many sports accomplishments, he served as special assistant to New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller, established the first African American Modern Bank/Freedom National Bank, and provided housing for the underprivileged through his construction firm. Robinson died in 1972. The house burned in 1996.

Erected 2001 by Georgia Historical Society and The Jackie Robinson Cairo Memorial Institute, Inc. (Marker Number 65-1.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Industry & Commerce • Sports. In addition, it is included in the Georgia Historical Society series list. A significant historical date for this entry is January 31, 1919.

Location. 30° 42.742′ N, 84° 12.857′ W. Marker is near Cairo, Georgia, in Grady County. It is on Hadley Ferry

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Road (County Route 154) 0.8 miles north of Meridian Road (County Route 322), on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Cairo GA 39828, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Georgia’s Coastal Plain. It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Deep South.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 12 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: The Journey Ends (approx. 4.8 miles away in Florida); The Old Bradfordville School (approx. 10.3 miles away in Florida); Vickers Cemetery (approx. 11.1 miles away in Florida); Centerville (approx. 11.2 miles away in Florida); Grady County (approx. 11½ miles away); The Blues Trail: Mississippi to Florida (approx. 11½ miles away in Florida); Veterans' Square (approx. 11½

Photographed by David Seibert, January 24, 2010

2. Birthplace of Jackie Robinson Marker

Looking north on Hadley Ferry Road (right), toward Cairo

miles away); Zebulon Theater (approx. 11½ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Cairo.

Also see . . .
1. The Activism of Jackie Robinson. (Submitted on February 17, 2010, by David Seibert of Sandy Springs, Georgia.)
2. Marker vandalized. As have many other markers sharing the stories of African-Americans, this marker has been vandalized with gunfire. The Georgia Historical Society will look for funding to replace it. (Submitted on February 25, 2021, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)

3. Replacement sign along with a duplicate to be installed in January, 2022. The new sign honoring Robinson will be dedicated in late January in Grady County at the site of his birthplace along Hadley Ferry Road. A duplicate of that marker will be dedicated about 14 miles away in downtown Cairo, the county seat, on Jan. 28.
Seven months after the vandalism, the Major League Baseball organization announced it would pay for the replacement of the sign and donate $40,000 for its perpetual upkeep by the historical society. Funds for the duplicate marker will be paid by the Georgia Historical Society

Photographed by David Seibert, January 24, 2010

3. Birthplace of Jackie Robinson Marker

Only the chimney remains of the house

(GHS).
(Submitted on December 7, 2021, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)

4. Birthplace of Jackie Robinson marker rededicated. (Submitted on January 30, 2022, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)
5. Vandalized Jackie Robinson marker heads to Kansas City (Youtube, 2 min.). A FOX4 News Kansas City news clip reporting that the vandalized plaque will be installed in the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City in the near future. (Submitted on February 25, 2022.)

Jackie Robinson, in Kansas City Monarchs Uniform. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Call (Kansas City), 1945

4. Jackie Robinson, in Kansas City Monarchs Uniform.

The photograph, before Robinson joined the Dodgers, is from: By Popular Demand: Jackie Robinson and Other Baseball Highlights, 1860s-1960s, Library of Congress.

The Original Birthplace of Jackie Robinson Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, June 22, 2023

5. The Original Birthplace of Jackie Robinson Marker

The original historic marker was damaged by gunfire in 2021. It was removed, and is now on permanent display in the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum located in Kansas City, Missouri.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 17, 2025. It was originally submitted on February 8, 2010, by David Seibert of Sandy Springs, Georgia. This page has been viewed 7,516 times since then and 234 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on February 8, 2010, by David Seibert of Sandy Springs, Georgia. 5. submitted on March 25, 2025, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York. • Kevin W. was the editor who published this page.