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Jesse Owens Brings Home the Gold
Jesse Owens wins four track and field gold medals during the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany. At this time, Nazi leader Adolf Hitler was trying to display the superiority of the white race over all other races. -
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Major Events
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Jackie Robinson Battles Discrimination
On this day, Jackie Robinson walked out onto the field with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Although he was not the very first African American to play Major League Baseball, he did make the largerst impact in the African American sporting world. Jackie Robinson Game Footage -
Bill Russell: NBA Player and Civil Rights Speaker
Bill Russell started making an impact during the 1956 Olympic Games when he led the United States basketball team to victory just months after graduating college. He was then drafted by the Boston Celtics where he helped win ten NBA Titles. He also recieved multiple MVP awards. Regardless of his success, life in Boston was not easy. He was continuously harassed because of his race, but he never retaliated and kept a positive attitude. -
Althea Gibson Breaks Through the Color Barrier and Wins Five Grand Slam Titles
Despite being part of the minority she still managed to win five Grand Slam Titles and was at one point in her career ranked the number one U.S. womens tennis player. -
Muhammad Ali: Outspoken Boxer
Muhammad Ali won his first gold medal at the 1960's olympics and continued to dominate the boxing world for the next decade and a half. He was a very outspoken person and hated by many people due to the color of his skin, but his outspoken political and religious views he provided and gave an example of leadership from an African-American figure. -
Arthur Ashe Becomes the First African-American to be Selected to the U.S. Tennis Team
Similar to Althea Gibsons success, Arthur was the first African-American male to win a Grand Slam tournament. He did more than play tennis, he also wrote books and articles for newspapers and magazines and served in the U.S. Army. Arthur also led an activist act in South Africa for many years. -
James Harris Starts at Quarterback
James Harris was the first ever African-American to start at quarterback in the NFL. During his stint in the NFL he was selected MVP multiple times. After the NFL he helped start up an organization that has raised over $400,000 for underprivelaged kids. -
Tiger Woods
Tiger studied at the prestigios Stanford University where he won quite a few amateur U.S. golf titles before becoming professional in 1996. At the age of 21 he became the youngest and the first African-American golfer to win the Masters. -
Croom Signs as the South Eastern Conference's First African-American Head Coach
After signing a contract to coach Mississippi State University, Croom make the statement, "I am the first African-American coach in the SEC, but there ain't but one color that matters here and that color is maroon." Say It Loud -
Tiger Woods Still Making Bank
Despite a a recent scandal that caused many sponsors to drop Tiger Woods, he continues to be todays highest paid athlete by a long shot.
