Throughout history, there have been many great black athletes. And, there is simply no denying that they have done amazing things to change their perspective sports. That being said, there have also been those black athletes that were just so great during their time that they completely changed the world. Not only did they change it, but they turned it upside down on its head. Here’s is a list of those athletes along with their contributions.
Jesse Owens
For many, Jesse Owens will be remembered as a black track star that done some great things in his perspective sport. For some, he will be remembered as the man that foiled Adolf Hitler’s plan to use the 1936 Olympics to demonstrate Aryan supremacy. That is exactly what Owen did. She not only proved this to Hitler, but it proved it to himself and the rest of the world. While the Germans did come home with the most gold medals, it was Owens that walked away with the most single medals. The United States ranked second with 56 total medals, while Germany had 89. When it was all said and done, Owens got Adolf to show his true nature, as he would not even acknowledge the athlete as was customary.
This was something that almost deterred Owens from going to the Berlin Olympics. However, when Owens saw that other athletes like Mack Robinson agree to make the venture, he decided that he would attend as well. To their surprise, they were greeted and treated well when they arrived in the country. They were highly graced by the fans and competing athletes.
Althea Gibson
Before there was Venus or Serena Williamson, the Williamson Sisters, there was Althea Gibson. She was one of the young, up, and coming black tennis stars that paved the way for the likes of the Williamson sisters. She was the first African American to play international professional tennis. She was born in South Carolina in 1927 and soon after, the depression forced her and her family to relocate to Harlem in New York City. Luckily, it was here that her father was able to find some work.
It was by the age of 12 that she discovered paddle tennis and soon became one of the best females in the world at the game. It wasn’t until 1941 that she took up actual tennis, although the two sports are nearly the same. It was in 1941 that the popular Jazz musician, Buddy Walker, bought her the first stringed racket she ever owned. This is what got her inspired, and it showed rapidly. She soon won several state championships and started attracting the attention of people with the wealth and means to help her accomplish many great things.
Wilma Rudolph
It was Wilma’s courage and determination that made her different than the others before her. These were two things that were clear from her very early childhood. She, unfortunately, contracted polio at an early age, but overcome the illness. She had to wear a brace on her legs until the age of eight along with specially made orthopedic shoes. She was able to shed both the braces and shoes by the age of twelve and was soon walking without supports. It was probably this adversity that got her to push so hard over the years.
If you want to go to jili slot and place bets with a quality casino, you’ll likely want to know that she was first spotted by Tennessee State University track and field coach, Ed Temple, during a basketball game. She soon attended a camp at the early age of fourteen and was outperforming girls years ahead of it. It soon became evident that this superstar was destined for many great things.
Charles Luther Sifford
A black professional golfer was something unheard of in the 1940s. Black players were prohibited from joining the PGA Tour. While there were Negro Tours available, they still have tons of odds to overcome, mainly finding courses to compete on. Charlie Sifford would be the one to change a lot of this. He was born in North Carolina in 1922 and got his start as a caddie of all things, earning a mere 60 cents a day toting clubs. By the time he was a teenager, he took up the sport and could consistently shoot par as most of the courses. Pretty impressive, and it only got more so from there!