Sports Moments in Black History

Jackie Robinson

February is Black History Month so Kidzworld is saluting some of America's greatest black athletes. Read on to find out about Jackie Robinson, Jesse Owens and other African American sports pioneers.

Black History - Jesse Owens

Jesse Owens became an American hero after an amazing performance at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany. At the time, Germany was ruled by Adolph Hitler who absurdly believed that blacks, Asians and other races were inferior to whites. Jessie proved how wrong Hitler's racist ideas were by winning the gold medal in the long jump, the 100-meter dash and the 200-meter dash. He took home a fourth gold medal by running the opening leg for the US team that won the 4x100-meter relay. Jesse was nicknamed the World's Fastest Man and, in 1976, he was awarded the Medal of Freedom - the highest award a US citizen can receive.

Black History - Jackie Robinson

Jackie Robinson was the first African American to play major league baseball. Jackie was a star in the Negro Leagues but wasn't allowed to play in major league baseball because he was black. He finally got his chance when he was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1945. On April 15, 1947, he played his first major league game as the Dogers' first baseman. Many people booed and jeered Jackie when he took the field but by the end of the season, he won many of them over with his play on the field. He batted .297, led the league in stolen bases and was named the National League Rookie of the Year. More importantly, he broke baseball's color barrier and opened the door for other black athletes to participate in professional sports.

Black History - Althea Gibson

Long before Serena and Venus Williams were dominating women's tennis, there was Althea Gibson. In 1950, Althea became the first black woman to play at the US Nationals. She advanced to the second round of the tournament and showed many ignorant tennis fans that African Americans belonged on the tennis court. In 1957, she won the US Nationals and Wimbledon, and was welcomed home with a ticker tape parade in New York.

For more on great African American athletes, click here.

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