Black Trailblazers
American professional baseball player who became the first African-American to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era.
Jackie Robinson
American professional basketball player; the first to ever score 50,000 points in the NBA; widely regarded as the greatest of all time
LeBron James
"I don't fit the narrative; I don't fit in the box y'all want me to be in. I'm too hood, I'm too ghetto — y'all told me that all year. So this is for the girls that look like me... It's unapologetically you."
Angel Reese
"I Believe I Can Fly" - R. Kelly
Michael Jordan
(Space Jam)
Widely regarded as the fastest man in history; he is a Jamaican runner who holds a world record in both the 100m and 200m events.
Usain Bolt
American professional golfer who is tied for first in PGA Tour wins; first black golf major champion and first black golfer to be ranked #1 in the world.
Tiger Woods
American professional sprinter; she holds the record for the fastest women's 100m with a time of 10.49 seconds
Florence Griffith "Flo Jo"" Joyner
"I am America. I am the part you won’t recognize. But get used to me—black, confident, cocky; my name, not yours; my religion, not yours; my goals, my own. Get used to me.”
Muhammad Ali
"Forever" - Drake ft. Kanye West, Eminem, and Lil Wayne
LeBron James
(Soundtrack to More Than a Game, documentary about LeBron James)
Pelé
American professional gymnast; the first to be crowned Individual All-Around Champion in the gymnastics competition
Gabby Douglas
American professional basketball player who holds the record for the most NBA titles (11); Also, the NBA's first Black head coach
Bill Russell
"We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, discipline, and effort."
(Hint: this quote is displayed in our gyms on North and South)
Jesse Owens
"Trophies" - Young Money ft. Drake
Floyd Mayweather
(Entrance song used by Mayweather for several major boxing matches; 50-0 record)
The first and only Black driver in Formula 1 history; a seven-time world champion, which ties the record. He hails from the United Kingdom and Grenada.
Lewis Hamilton
American sprinter who overcame polio as a child and went on to become a world-record-holding Olympic champion; he first American woman to win three gold medals in track and field during a single Olympic Games.
Wilma Rudolph
American professional football player; the first Black quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl
(Hint: He played for the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XXII [22])
Douglas (Doug) Lee Williams
"Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it."
Michael Jordan
"All I Do Is Win" - DJ Khaled ft. T. Pain, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg, and Rick Ross
Serena Williams
(Pre-match hype song famously used by Williams before and after matches)
Nigerian NBA legend who led the Houston Rockets to back-to-back championships in the 1990s. Known for his signature “Dream Shake” move and impact as one of the greatest centers in basketball history.
Hakeem Olajuwon
American tennis player and professional golfer, and one of the first Black athletes to cross the color line of international tennis; In 1956, she became the first African American to win a Grand Slam event (the French Open).
Althea Gibson
American professional baseball player; he holds the record for the most home runs in a singular MLB season (73)
Barry Bonds
"Worrying gets you nowhere. If you turn up worrying about how you’re going to perform, you’ve already lost."
Usain Bolt
"A Change is Gonna Come" - Sam Cooke
and
"Black and Proud" - James Brown
Muhammad Ali
(Civil Rights songs referenced by Ali multiple times in interviews and public appearances)
A Former UFC Heavyweight Champion hailing from Cameroon, known for his incredible punching power and inspiring rise from poverty; he is a powerful advocate for fighter rights and humanitarian causes.
Francis Ngannou