Today, Venus and Serena Williams are two of the most recognized faces, not just in tennis, but in the entire sports world. But before 1950 — before Althea Gibson — black women weren’t even allowed to play the game alongside their white counterparts.
On August 22, 1950, Althea Gibson became the first black woman to compete on the U.S. Tennis Championships. She later became the first black person to win a Wimbledon title, and went on to win a number of U.S. and International titles. When her tennis career was over, she worked as the New Jersey State Commissioner of Athletics. She died in 2003 at the age of 76.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of her first U.S. Championship win, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Aretha Franklin, Carol Moseley Braun, and other boundary-breaking black women will honor Gibson on August 27, the first night of the U.S. Open.
I know little about tennis and even less about Althea Gibson (until now), and I’m kind of ashamed. If you watch the video — when they interview people on the street about the first black Wimbledon winner — you’ll know why.
I can’t imagine what all of the taunts and death threats were like that she most likely received.
Shit, I’m surprised that people even said Arthur Ashe.
Big smack to the guy who said Serena Williams.
[…] bravery. This is truly a great move for race relations. Kim Kardashian’s like a modern-day Althea Gibson. Aug 23, 2007 · Link · Respond Related Posts • 08/15/07: Parting Shots […]
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