The "Firsts"
This Californian was the first to integrate Major League Baseball in 1947
Who is Jackie Robinson?
This global cultural icon was a conscientious objector to the Vietnam War, inspiring many other black athletes, and black people in general, to stand up against racial inequality in America. The war went against his Islamic faith, which he converted to in 1964 during the height of his boxing prowess.
Who is Muhammad Ali?
One of the greatest players to ever pick up a basketball, this Lower Merion native scored 60 points in his final NBA game.
Who is Kobe Bryant?
The San Francisco 49ers traded up in the 1985 NFL draft to select this receiver from Mississippi Valley State University, who’d go on to become one of the greatest football players ever.
Who is Jerry Rice?
These sisters dominated together, winning a combined 30 singles titles and 14 Grand Slam doubles titles
Who are the Williams sisters (Serena and Venus)?
During the final 3 years of his playing career in the 60’s, this NBA legend was a player-coach, becoming the first black coach to win an NBA championship.
Who is Bill Russell?
In 2016, this former NFL QB received national attention for kneeling during the national anthem, protesting against racial inequality and police brutality in America. He has not played in a game since.
Who is Colin Kaepernick?
This Philly hoops legend’s long list of accomplishments includes: National HS Player of the Year at Dobbins, 3x National champion, 4x NCAA COTY, and becoming a member of the basketball, women’s basketball, and FIBA hall of fame, respectively.
Who is Dawn Staley?
Nicknamed ‘The Black Gazelle’, this sprinter overcame polio as a child to become a world-record holder and Olympic champion, and an international sports icon. She graduated from Tennessee State University in 1963.
In 1988, in the first race of the quarterfinals of the U.S. Olympic trials, this Track & Field athlete stunned her colleagues when she sprinted 100 meters in 10.49 seconds - a record that still stands to this day.
Who is Florence Joyner-Griffith, a.k.a Flo-Jo?
In 1966, this college basketball team became the first to start 5 black players en route to winning the national title against Kentucky, which was notedly an all-white program.
What is Texas Western (now University of Texas-El Paso, or UTEP)?
These track teammates became part of one of the most iconic and powerful images in sports history by raising their black-gloved fists at the Olympic medal award ceremony in 1968. Both athletes wore black socks and no shoes on the podium to represent poverty in Black America.
Who are Tommie Smith and John Carlos?
An Olympic gold medalist nicknamed Smokin’, this historic boxer moved to the city of brotherly love as a teenager and became a heavyweight champion and boxing legend.
Who is Smokin' Joe Frazier?
This hoops hall of famer from South Philly dominated the basketball court, averaging over 40 points in his senior year before winning a national championship and earning player of the year honors at Division II Winston-Salem State University
Who is Earl "The Pearl" Monroe?
Although she didn’t pick up her craft until she was 13, much later than most, she was a prodigy and transitioned to a professional dancer after only 1 year of training. In 2015, she made history by being promoted to principal dancer for the American Ballet Theatre — the first Black woman to earn the promotion in the company’s 75-year history.
Who is Misty Copeland?
This Grambling State grad became the first black Quarterback to both start and win a Super Bowl, being named Super Bowl MVP after throwing 4 touchdown passes in a single quarter.
Who is Doug Williams?
Widely considered one of the greatest players in NFL history, this former Cleveland Brown fullback spoke out on racial issues as the civil rights movement was growing in the 1950s. He also founded the Black Economic Union to help promote economic opportunities for minority-owned businesses.
Who is Jim Brown?
This soft-spoken player won a Super Bowl, is in the NFL Hall of Fame, and is widely considered one of the greatest wide receivers in NFL history. He also went to Roman Catholic High School
Who is Marvin Harrison Sr.?
Often cited as one of the greatest athletes ever, this former number 1-ranked tennis player and Hall of Famer out of Florida A&M University broke barriers in the world of tennis, including becoming the first Black player to win a grand slam.
Who is Althea Gibson?
This WNBA legend famously took a hiatus from her career to focus on reform in the American justice system, including helping free her now-husband, who spent 22 years in prison after being wrongfully convicted of a crime he did not commit.
Who is Maya Moore?
This Canadian hockey player would make history in 1958, becoming the first Black player in the NHL. After his debut, there wouldn’t be another Black NHL player for another 16 years.
This former NBA star, who converted to Islam in 1991, refused to stand for the national anthem, believing that the flag was a symbol of oppression. He was fined for each game he didn’t stand.
Who is Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (formerly Chris Jackson)?
This Baseball HoFer was born and raised in Germantown and went to Simon Gratz High School. He began his playing career at the age of 15 in the Negro Leagues. He joined the Dodgers the year after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier.
A 2x Olympic gold medalist out of Morehouse College, this star track athlete once won 122 consecutive races over the span of a decade.
Who is Edwin Moses?
At the 2016 Summer Olympics, this woman became the first Black female swimmer to win gold in the 100-meter freestyle, eventually going on to rack up a total of 15 gold medals in her Olympic and World championship swimming career.
Who is Simone Manuel?