-
Period: to
black athlete history
-
Jack Johnson
the first black world heavyweight boxing champion from 1908-15 after defeating Tommy Burns. After Johnson won the title, racist and former heavyweight champion boxer James J. Jeffries decided to fight Johnson after refusing to face him after he winned the World Colored Heavyweight Championship. -
Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson became the first player in the major leagues in 1947, signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was named Rookie of the Year in 1947, National League MVP in 1949 and a World Series champ in 1955. -
Hank Aaron
After a couple years in the minors, Aaron made his Major League in 1954. He was one of the first five black players in baseball history. He had to hear racist slirs of the like one of the legends Jackie Robinson did. Racism and racial prejudice didn't stop Aaron from being on the diamond. -
Jim Brown
Brown has accomplished in 118 games and never missed a contest during his nine-year career. He was an eight-time First-Team All-Pro selection, an eight-time NFL rushing champion, a nine-time NFL All-Star, a three-time NFL MVP and was named to the NFL 1960s All-Decade Team. Jim Brown was the first player in history to win both the Rookie of the Year Award and an MVP the first in the season. -
Bob Gibson
This St. Louis Cardinal pitcher had an awesome slider that was so devastating he had one of the greatest pitching seasons in baseball history. He is the last player to win the MVP for the baseball. Bob was one of the reason why baseball lowered the pitcher's mound from 15 inches to 10 inches and made the strike zone's height from the batter's a little bit smaller. -
Magic Johnson
magic johnson is awesome for two reasons, first because helped keep the MBA moving, it was because white fans didnt like "The all black game." He could play any position and is natural at being a point guard. Second reason was that he help make was for AIDS awareness. Some players were afraid to go around Magic because of his disease . So magic and another MBA player educated his players more about HIV and AIDS and say people that have it are like everybody else. -
Ernie Davis
The Washington Redskins drafted Davis with the first pick of the 1962 NFL draft, and he was then traded to the Cleveland Browns. However, Davis never played in the NFL, as he was diagnosed with leukemia in 1962 and died shortly after. -
Marlin Briscoe
Marlin Briscoe was the first black starting quarterback of NFL history when the Denver Broncos drafted him and the first in the 1968 NFL Draft. -
Debi Thomas
Thomas entered Stanford University to study pre-med, all the while winning the U.S. Figure Skating National Championship (1986, 1988) and the World Figure Skating Champion (1986). She was the first black woman to win the U.S. championships.
