Sports world today cannot imagine themselves without African American athletes. But what about the sports world 40 years ago? They were not used to having black people in the fields. Then what changed? And more specifically, who turned it?
We bring you the names of black athletes who gave us the sports world as we know today. Let’s look at how they never gave up and how they changed this World in their way.
Four Black Athletes who changed the sports arena
1. Jack Johnson – Boxing
Jack Jonson never got the recognition that he earned and deserved. When black boxers come up in a conversation, people talk about Ali or Foreman or Tyson. However, what most people don’t address is it was Jack who paved the way for these guys. Jack beat the undefeated white boxer, James Jeffries, in the 15th round, right after winning his heavyweight title. And this one defeat of the Jeffries life by a black man started riots across the United States.
2. Frederick Pollard – Football
Can anyone today imagine the NFL without black players? No, now we can’t, but back in 1919, Frederick was the first-ever black sportsman to reach to the แทง บอล field. And a year after he joined the team, he led his team to their first-ever NFL victory. A year later, he coached the same team, and then later became the first-ever black head coach of any NFL team. If this isn’t making a difference, then what is?
3. Jesse Owens – Athlete
Hitler always wanted to prove his race was superior to any other sport in the World, and that was the list of the 1936 Olympics. He tried to use the Olympics to prove his race was superior in the World. However, this man changed everything about his plan. Jesse Owens won four different gold medals in 1936 Olympics in 100m sprint, 200m sprint, long jump and the 4*100 relay.
4. Charlie Sifford
Now, this might come off as a surprise to you that while almost every other sport has accepted black athletes, Golf hasn’t. So during his time, you can only imagine what Charlie might have gone through. He could only play in the tournaments that his fellow black people organized because whites did not let him play with them. Charlie decided to change this, and his efforts were successful. In 1952, he received an invitation from Joe Louis and played for the Phoenix Open, despite the death threats. The contributions of these pioneering athletes continue to resonate today, with the legacy of figures like Frederick Pollard reflected in the diversity of NFL teams, as fans around the world watch eagerly, despite Super Bowl ticket prices.