While Mack Robinson was a stellar athlete within his era, he achievements were drowned out by that of Jesse Owens and his younger brother, MLB pioneer Jackie Robinson. While Robinson earned a silver medal in the 1936 Berlin Olympics, he never enjoyed the stardom of the aforementioned men.
Matthew Mackenzie Robinson was born July 18, 1914 in Cairo, Georgia. His family relocated to Pasadena, California when he was young and remained there. The Robinson brothers were gifted athletes with Mack Robinson breaking junior college records in track and field at Pasadena Junior College. In 1936, Robinson couldn’t afford to make the United States Olympic trials for the Men’s track team but businessmen in Pasadena sent him and another athlete to New York.
After qualifying, Robinson earned his silver in the 200 while Jesse Owens showed the world that Black athletes can compete on the world stage despite Nazi Germany and its leader, Adolf Hitler assuming otherwise. The win brought Owens immense fame and notoriety while Robinson returned to Pasadena with less than a hero’s welcome. He worked odd jobs in the city and worked to fight street crime in the region. And while he was proud of his younger brother’s achievements on the baseball diamond, Robinson admitted he felt overshadowed and grew tired of being referred to as Jackie Robinson’s brother.
Robinson was honored during the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles when he and others carried the massive Olympic flag into L.A. Coliseum. Robinson passed in 2000 at the age of 85.
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