10 Black Trailblazers and Leaders in Sports
Inspiring African-American Athletes in the World of Sports
One of the reasons that our volunteer Athlete-Mentors at Classroom Champions devote themselves to mentoring kids is because they themselves have had influential role models in their lives. In honor of Black History, we thought we’d highlight some of the black trailblazers in sport that have helped pave the way for so many, old and young. These athletes’ courage, hard work, and skills have given them poignant places in history forevermore. Let us know whom else you yourself admire and have been inspired by!
A trailblazer is a person who is the leader in a particular field, especially a person who does a particular thing before anyone else does. — CollinsDictionary.com
I challenged myself to give each athlete a one liner, which is hard to do with their many accolades! Here are some resources that you can share with your kids:
HOCKEY: Willie O’Ree
A legend on and off the ice, Willie O’Ree was the first black National Hockey League (NHL) player, suiting up for the Boston Bruins from 1958–1961 (and did you know he played blind in his right eye?)
- Watch the 90-minute documentary, Willie, and explore the social justice educational resources from Classroom Champions and the NHL found at www.lessonsfromwillie.com.
- 10 Things You May Not Know About Willie O’Ree
- Other notables: Mike Grier, Grant Fuhr, Jarome Iginla
TRACK & FIELD: Wilma Rudolph
Wilma was the first U.S. woman to win three gold medals in one Olympic Games (1960). She was a powerful sprinter who won not only Olympic medals but broke many world records earning her the status of world’s fastest woman — all while having overcome the crippling disease of polio as a child!
- Time for Kids’ This is Wilma: Read the Story of Wilma Rudolph
- InspireMyKids.com: Wilma Rudolph — She Defied the Odds to Achieve Olympic Glory!
- Other notables: Florence “Flo-Jo” Griffith Joyner, Jesse Owens, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, John Taylor, John Carlos, Tommie Smith (*see video below)
BASKETBALL: Bill Russell
With a clear focus on teamwork, Hall of Famer Bill Russell not only won a gold Olympic medal as Captain of the U.S. national basketball team and helped the Boston Celtics win 11 NBA Champions in his 13-year professional career, but he went on to become the first ever black coach in NBA history.
- Kids Fun Facts
- Biography.com
- Other notables: Lisa Leslie, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Sheryl Swoops, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Lebron James
GYMNASTICS: Simone Biles
A tumbler and dancer on the mats (and on Dancing with the Stars), Simone won the hearts of many globally with her gold medal-winning performances at the 2016 Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro; she is the most decorated American gymnast of all time.
- Time for Kids’ This is Simone: Read the Story of Simone Biles
- KidsKonnect: Bio & Worksheets
- Other notables: James Kanati Allen, Dominique Dawes, Gabby Douglas
SOCCER: Pelé
Pelé (Edson Arantes do Nascimento) is hailed as the world’s greatest soccer player — ever — as he was the youngest player to win a FIFA World Cup at the age of 17 and played on the Brazilian national team for 15 years before ending his career with the New York Cosmos.
- Activity Village’s bio and activities
- Pele, King of Soccer by Monica Brown — many read-aloud video on YouTube including this one (4:28) read by Mrs. St. Germain Reads
- Other notables: Freddy Edu, Briana Scurry, Eddie Pope
GOLF: Althea Gibson
Known best for her 11 Grand Slam titles in tennis and helping pave the way for blacks in the international tennis world, Althea’s swing also served her well on the links as she became the first African-American to join the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tour at age 37.
- PBS American Masters: Althea Gibson (inc. video 2:24)
- Kids Fun Facts
- Other notables: John Shippen, Renee Powell, Tiger Woods, Charlie Sifford, Mariah Stackhouse
BASEBALL: Jackie Robinson
Jackie broke the color barrier in professional baseball when the Brooklyn Dodgers signed him into Major League Baseball in 1947, where he went on to play first base, winning Rookie of the Year (1947), being named an All-Star six times, winning the National League’s MVP (1949), playing in six World Series and winning the 1955 World Series Championship.
- JackieRobinson.com
- Mental Floss’s 42 Facts about Jackie Robinson
- Other notables: Willie Mays, Barry Bonds, Frank Robinson, Bo Jackson
BOXING: Laila Ali
The daughter of great Muhammad Ali, Laila showed the world that females have a place in the boxing ring, winning multiple titles and retiring undefeated.
“He said, ‘What’s going to happen if you get knocked down?’ And I was like, ‘Well, if I get knocked down, I’m going to get back up, just like you did.’”
- Oprah.com: Where Are They Know?
- WBUR: Laila Ali Is Undefeated — Even Against Her Father (inc., 7:47 radio clip)
- Other notables: Jack Johnson, Joe Gans, Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Sugar Ray Leonard
FOOTBALL: Colin Kaepernick
A six-season quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, Colin stood up against police brutality and racial inequality by “taking a knee” as the National Anthem played at the beginning of NFL games, which caused such strong reactions on and off the field that Time Magazine put him on the October 2016 cover for prompting a national debate “about privilege, pride, and patriotism.”
- Educational Videos for Kids: Interesting Facts about Colin Kaepernick (3:30)
- Sports Illustrated for Kids: Colin Kaepernick featured on TIME cover amid national anthem protest
- Other notables: Fritz Pollard, Jim Brown, Bobby Marshall, Doug Williams, William H. Lewis, Duke Slater
Watch the following video interview from ALTIS about track and field trailblazer and fellow football player, Tommie Smith, who raised his fist while on the 1968 Olympic podium to signify black power along with fellow medalist John Carlos raising his for black unity, in an effort to raise awareness for human rights: Q&A with Calais Campbell and Dr. Tommie Smith (27:21).
TENNIS: The Williams Sisters
Raised on the courts in Compton, CA, and coached by their parents, the Williams sisters — Venus and Serena — personify strength in tennis matches globally, winning a combined 30 Grand Slam titles and four Olympic gold medals, often competing for the top-ranking seat against one another.
- Olympic’s The Williams Sisters When They Were Kids | Before They Were Superstars (8:52)
- Encyclopedia of World Biographies: Serena Williams
- Other notables: Althea Gibson, Arthur Ashe, Cori “Coco” Gauff
Suggest to your kids that they can research some of the other names mentioned (and there are so many others to learn about!) Or they could dive into the history of their favorite sport to identify some such trailblazers. Also, remember to emphasize how these leaders have made a difference outside of the sports world too, as many have used their platforms for social good.
Want even more? Check out these other five compilations:
- Trailblazing Black Women in Sports from History.com
- 10 African American Pioneers in Sport from Biography.com
- Trailblazing Black Canadian Athletes from the CanadianEncylopeida.com
- 11 Amazing Black Women Athletes You Should Know About from Refinery29
- 18 Influential Black Athletes in U.S. Olympic History from Team USA
Do check out the Athlete Mentors from Classroom Champions who currently work with students across North American to bring a real-world perspective to social-and-emotional learning.
