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The First African American Champion
Canadian boxer George Dixon holds the crown as being the first official African American champion in sports. On June 27th, 1890, Dixon defeated Nuc Wallace after 18 rounds to become the World Bantamweight Champion. Dixon was a pioneer in many aspects: he is credited with inventing shadow boxing along with being the first Canadian boxing champion. His legacy opened the door for many African American athletes, who would follow in his footsteps as champions themselves. -
Second African American World Champion, "Major" Marshall
Marshall Walter "Major" Taylor became the world's first African American track cycling champion on August 10th, 1899. Despite being loved in France, he experienced racism all too often. Being sabotaged, having ice thrown at him, and not being allowed to compete in southern states didn't stop Taylor from becoming the world's second official African American champion. -
The First African American Olympic Metalist
George Poage's hard work on the track and school was evident when he showed up to the Olympic conference and showed his amazing athleticism in the 220 yard and 440 yard hurdles. He became the first African American to win Olympic Medals. Poage was also the first individual Big Ten Track Champion who was African American. He would continue going to school during his athletic peak, earning his degree in History. George Poage proved to be a champion physically and mentally. -
First African American Boxing heavyweight champion
December 26th, 1908 signifies arguably one the most ground breaking moments in sports. Current heavyweight champion Tommy Burnes finally gave into the pressure to give African American boxer Jack Johnson a shot at the title. After a sixteen round fight in Sidney, Australia in front of 20,000 spectators, Jack Johnson would become the first African American heavyweight boxing champion. In a time of immense racial tension, Johnson stood out as a true champion in and out of the ring. -
"Fastest Man in the World"
During the 1936 Berlin Olympics, many people were expecting Germany to take home all the gold metals. Their "aryan" propaganda and "superior race" proved to be wrong when Jesse Owens won four gold medals. Owens became the first African American to be sponsored by a shoe company (Adidas) for his amazing performance. Despite Hitler refusing to shake his hand, Owens showed the world that the Nazi's claim that African Americans were physically inferior was fallacious. -
Breaking Baseball's Color Barrier
Jackie Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson had his MLB debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15th, 1947. Robinson was not only an exceptional baseball player (with a career batting average of .311), but an inspiring figure off the field. His entry into the MLB challenged segregation, making him a figure in the Civil Rights Movement. Robinson opened the door for future African American baseball players with aspirations of making it into the MLB. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. -
Willie Thrower's Breakthrough into the NFL
After winning the NCAA Division I College Football Championship in 1952, Willie Thrower would become the first African American quarterback in the NFL. Thrower debuted with the Chicago Bears on October 18th, 1953. He was largely overlooked compared to Jackie Robin, but his legacy still remains. He proclaimed himself "the Jackie Robinson of football", and went on to become inducted into three different hall of fames by the time of his death. -
"The Female Jackie Robinson"
Althena Gibson made history on July 6th, 1957 by becoming the first African American to win Wimbledon. She didn't stop there, however; she would go on to win Wimbledon the very next year too. Her twelve tournament wins would help her get inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1971. -
Willie O'ree, Hockey's First African American Player
Willie O'ree became the first African American NHL hockey player midway through the season for the Boston Bruins on January 18th, 1958. Even though the next African American NHL player wouldn't come until 1974, O'ree was a big influence to many African American athletes; He would constantly get called racial slurs and hear nasty racial remarks, none of which stopped him from scoring over 30 goals or more for four seasons. He was proclaimed "a pioneer of Hockey" in Canada. -
Wilt Chamberlain's 100 Point Game
On March 2, 1962, Wilt Chamberlain made NBA history by scoring 100 points in one game, setting the all time record. To this day, the closest anyone has ever gotten was Kobe Bryant with 82. Chamberlain's record was a pivotol point in basketball, just as the sport was becoming more popular and widespread. Wilt set the bar high with his 100 point game, and helped draw more attention to the NBA. -
"I am the Greatest"
Young Cassious Clay Jr. became the youngest fighter to take a belt from a heavyweight champion on February 25th, 1964. This was the beginning of future "Muhammed Ali's" legacy. He was a civil rights activist, a well known "trash talker" who could back everything up, and arguably the greatest boxer of all time. With a 61-5 record, Ali was named "Sportsman of the Century" in 1999. -
1966 NCAA Men's Division I Tournament
The 1966 Texas Western Miners basketball team was the first all African American starting lineup to win the NCAA Men's Division I Tournament. The 2006 movie Glory Road described their rise to the top and how race was a motivation to their competitors to keep them down. In 2007, the team was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. -
Bill Russell as the NBA's First Head Coach
The 1965-1966 playoffs gave all star Bill Russell his 8tth NBA championship ring, to which he still holds the record for to this day with 11. The beginng of the next season however, Bill Russel would take over as the coach, becoming the first African American NBA coach. Although the Celtics were not able to win their 8th conseecutive championship, Russell was still looked at as a legend and pioneer for becoming a coach in the NBA for opening up limitless possibilities for African Americans. -
"The Future of Golf"
Less than a year after turning professional in 1996, Tiger Woods went on to win his first major, the 1997 Masters. Woods was the first African American golf champion to tour on the professional golf association circuit, and would go on to dominate the sport for the next decade. Woods is a notable African American figure in sports because of his numerous achievements and awards, making him arguably the greatest figure in golf. -
African Americans and Sports Video
