Clarence "Big House" Gaines

Big House" Gaines was a national coaching legend at Winston-Salem State University where he led the Rams to 18 20-win seasons and guided WSSU to eight Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) titles. In 1967 he led WSSU to a 31-1 record and coached the Rams, and future NBA star, Earl "The Pearl" Monroe, to an NCAA Championship, making the Rams the first basketball program from a historically black college or university to capture an NCAA national championship.

Gaines was named the CIAA's coach of the year a record five times during his 47-year coaching career at WSSU. Over the span of those 47 seasons, Gaines compiled an overall record of 828-447, good enough to place fifth in wins in NCAA history behind Dean Smith (North Carolina), Adolph Rupp (Kentucky), Bob Knight (Texas Tech and Indiana) and Jim Phelan (Mt. St. Mary's). He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982.

A native of Paducah, KY, Gaines was born on May 21st, 1923. He graduated from Lincoln High School and would then attend Morgan State University on a football scholarship. Though he was a standout football player who garnered All-America honors twice, Gaines was, by his own accounts, "a very average basketball player." Despite his self-proclaimed mediocrity on the court as a player, Gaines would go on to become one of the greatest collegiate basketball coaches in history, as he is still, to this day, the winningest African-American coach in NCAA history.

Bill Russell

A retired American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the NBA. A five-time winner of the NBA Most Valuable Player Award and a twelve-time All-Star, the 6 ft 9 in Russell was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won eleven NBA Championships during Russell's thirteen-year career. Along with Henri Richard of the NHL's Montreal Canadiens, Russell holds the record for the most championships won by an athlete in a North American sports league. Before his professional career, Russell led the University of San Francisco to two consecutive National Collegiate Athletic Association championships (1955, 1956). He also won a gold medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics as captain of the U.S. national basketball team.
Russell is widely considered one of the best defensive players in NBA history. His shot-blocking and man-to-man defense were major reasons for the Celtics' success, and he inspired other players to elevate their own defensive play. Russell was equally notable for his rebounding abilities. He led the NBA in rebounds four times and tallied 21,620 total rebounds in his career. He is one of just two NBA players (the other being prominent rival Wilt Chamberlain) to have grabbed over fifty rebounds in a single game. Though never the focal point of the Celtics' offense, Russell also scored 14,522 career points and provided effective passing.
Playing in the wake of pioneers like Earl Lloyd, Chuck Cooper, and Ray Felix, Russell was the first African American player to achieve superstar status in the NBA. He also served a three-year (1966–69) stint as player-coach for the Celtics, thus becoming the first African American coach in any major American professional sports league. However, Russell frequently battled with racism. Many sports fans in Boston shunned the Celtics during Russell's tenure with the team, and Russell received little support from the local press. When he retired, Russell left Boston with a bitter attitude, although in recent years his relationship with the city has improved.
Russell is now a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. He was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996. In 2007, he was enshrined in the FIBA Hall of Fame.

Bill Russell was made the first black head coach while still playing the starting center for the Boston Celtics.

Bob Johnson

Robert L. Johnson, the founder of Black Entertainment Television, became the first African-American to become the principal owner of a major professional sports team. He owns the Charlotte Bobcats in Charlotte,NC.

He said ''As an African-American, I believe people should, first of all, be judged on the content of their character, as Dr. Martin Luther King said, not the color of their skin.'' Mr. Johnson, 56, said during a news conference at the NBA Store in Manhattan. ''I feel what I brought to the table was my ability and my skill as an individual, my track record in business, my ability to identify talented people to help me build organizations like I've done with BET

Greg Gumbel

An American television sportscaster. He is best known for his various assignments on the CBS network (most notably, the National Football League and NCAA basketball). The brother of news personality Bryant Gumbel, he became the first African American announcer to call play-by-play of a major sports championship in the United States when he announced Super Bowl XXXV for the CBS network in 2001.

Jesse Owens

He participated in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany, where he achieved international fame by winning four gold medals: one each in the 100 meters, the 200 meters, the long jump, and as part of the 4x100 meter relay team. To this day he is the only american to achieve this.

Lenny Wilkens

He is not only the first black , he also one of three players to be inducted into the Basketball Hall Of Fame twice , as a player & coach. He is also the NBA's winningest coach, even though he is retired from coaching.

Oscar Robertson

The Big O” was the first African-American to play college basketball for the Cincinnati Bearcats, setting 14 NCAA records as an All-American for his three seasons.

He went on to play for the Cincinnati Royals and was an All-NBA first-team choice for ten consecutive seasons,

He won the NBA's Most Valuable Player award in 1964.

****He is still the only player black or white to ever average a triple double in the NBA*****

He was selected unanimously to the Hall of Fame in 1979 and as one of the 50 greatest players of all time in honor of the NBA’s 50th Anniversary.

Wayne Embry

A retired American basketball player; a center/forward whose 11 year career spanned from 1959 to 1969. He played for the Cincinnati Royals, Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks all of the NBA.
He attended Miami University and Tecumseh High School (New Carlisle, Ohio) before that.
He played in the NBA All-Star game for five consecutive seasons (1961-1965) and won the NBA Championship with the Celtics in 1968.
After retiring as a player he became the first African American NBA general manager, managing Milwaukee Bucks (1971-1979), Cleveland Cavaliers (1986-1999), and Toronto Raptors (2006). He was selected NBA Executive of the Year in 1992 and 1998. His most remembered moves as a general manager was his controversial 1975 trade of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Los Angeles Lakers, and his disastrous 1989 Cavaliers trade of Ron Harper and two first-round draft picks to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for the rights to Danny Ferry. The latter trade effectively crippled the Cavaliers franchise during the '90s. Abdul-Jabbar went on to win five titles with the Lakers, comparing to his one with the Bucks. The Cavaliers had a winning regular season record during Embry's tenure, but were never able to succeed in the playoffs.

Willie Davenport

He participated in hurdling events in four Olympic Games, winning the title in 1968. In 1980, he also took part in the Olympic Winter Games as a runner for the American bobsleigh team, in doing so he became the first black member of the bobsleigh team.

Jack Johnson

Jack Johnson became the world's first African-American heavy weight champion in 1908 in a bout with Tommy Burns. He held the title for 7 years. For more than thirteen years, Jack Johnson was the most famous, and the most notorious African-American on Earth.

Dominique Dawes & Betty Okino

Dominique Dawes alongside Betty Okino became the first African American females to win an Olympic gymnastics medal in the 1992 olympics.

The Great Vs. The Greatest

Eddie Robinson

Robinson spent fifty-six years as the head coach at historically black Grambling State University in Grambling in Lincoln Parish in northern Louisiana, from 1941 through 1997.
During his tenure, Robinson established himself as the winningest coach in college football history, becoming the first coach to record 400 wins. Robinson is second on the list of wins by a college coach, immediately behind active coach John Gagliardi of St. John's University (Minnesota). Robinson retired with a record of 408 wins, 165 losses and 15 ties. More than 200 of his players went on to play in the American Football League and in the NFL. Robinson coached three American Football League players who would later be inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame: the Kansas City Chiefs' Buck Buchanan; the Oakland Raiders' Willie Brown; and the Houston Oilers' Charlie Joiner. Robinson also coached James Harris, who with the AFL's Buffalo Bills became the first black quarterback in modern Pro Football history to start at that position in a season opener. He also coached Packers defensive end and Hall of Famer Willie Davis and the Super Bowl XXII MVP, Redskins quarterback Doug Williams, who would ultimately succeed Robinson as Grambling's head coach in 1998.
During his coaching career, Robinson compiled 45 winning seasons, including winning or sharing 17 Southwestern Athletic Conference championships and eight black college football national championships [1].

Doug Williams

in 1988, when Doug Williams became the first Black quarterback to play in a Super Bowl. He also won the Most Valuable Player award.

Lovie Smith & Tony Dungy

MIAMI February 2007 - Well before the opening kickoff, it is already clear that Super Bowl XLI will be one for the history books.
That's because both competing coaches – Tony Dungy of the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears' Lovie Smith – are of African-American heritage. On Sunday night, one of them will become the first black coach to win a Super Bowl.
That's not just a piece of sports trivia. It is part of the civil rights movement, an important chapter of American history that for many will outshine even the most amazing gridiron heroics.
By leading their teams to the biggest game in football, Coach Smith and Coach Dungy may open doors for a new generation of African-American leaders just as pioneering blacks opened doors for them.

Iron Mike Tyson

is a former two-time American world heavyweight boxing champion and is the youngest man to win the heavyweight title. During his prime in the late 1980s, Tyson was considered one of the greatest heavyweights and one of the most recognizable athletes in the world. Nicknamed "Iron Mike Tyson", "Kid Dynamite" and "The Baddest Man on

Earvin "Magic" Johnson

Magic Johnson Became The First Rookie In 11 Years To Start In The NBA All Star Game And The First Rookie To Win The NBA Finals MVP. “In 77 games Johnson's numbers mirrored those of his days at Michigan State (18.0 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 7.3 apg). He became the first rookie to start in an NBA All-Star Game since Elvin Hayes 11 years earlier.” Johnson also became “the first rookie ever to win the Finals MVP Award.” [NBA.com, Accessed: 12/18/07]
Johnson’s MVP-Winning Performance in 1980 Playoffs Game 6 Is “The Stuff of Legend,” Saved the Team From a Hometown Loss When The Star Abdul-Jabbar Was Injured. “In the 1980 NBA Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers, Johnson's performance in the series-clinching sixth game was the stuff of legend. Abdul-Jabbar was sidelined with a badly sprained ankle sustained during his 40-point effort in Game 5. Up 3-2, the Lakers could wrap things up on the 76ers' home court.
Enter Johnson, the 20-year-old rookie. Assuming Abdul-Jabbar's position at center, Johnson sky-hooked and rebounded the Lakers to victory with 42 points, 15 boards, seven assists and three steals. He even jumped for the opening tap. Johnson became the first rookie ever to win the Finals MVP Award. The stunning effort exemplified his uncanny ability to do whatever the Lakers needed in order to win. In the Los Angeles Times, Westhead said of his amazing rookie: ‘We all thought he was a movie-star player, but we found out he wears a hard hat. It's like finding a great orthopedic surgeon who can also operate a bulldozer.’” [NBA.com, Accessed: 12/18/07]
Watch some of that famous game here.... Magic is also a great business man

Venus & Serena Williams

Born in Lynwood, California Venus Williams (b. June 17, 1980) and younger sister, Serena Williams (b. September 26, 1981, in Saginaw, Michigan) both grew up in the Los Angeles suburb of Compton, California and were coached by their father from a very young age.
Both girls were playing in tournaments before their teens, but their father/manager abruptly pulled them from competition to finish their schooling - a move that, at the time, both raised eyebrows and earned praise for the decision.
Home schooled by their mother, it was Venus who turned pro at 14 and three years short years made it to the U.S. Open only to be defeated by Martina Hingis in 1997. Meanwhile, sister Serena was already rising through the ranks and in 1999 became the first sister to win a Grand Slam event at the U.S. Open. The following year, it was Venus' turn - as she defeated Lindsey Davenport to win the 2000 Wimbledon championship - with both sisters easily taking the Wimbledon doubles title that year. Since then, Venus and Serena Williams have been two of the most watched players on the women's tennis circuit.
In 2005, Serena was victorious at the Australian Open, overcoming a back injury to again beat Lindsey Davenport (2-6, 6-3, 6-0) in the final.
In March, 2005, the battle of the Williams sisters at the Nasdaq 100 Open went to Venus, who was later victorious in a grueling match with Lindsey Davenport to finally take the ladies' championship at Wimbledon in 2005.
As the defending champ in the Australian Open in 2006, Serena was ousted in the third round by Daniela Hantuchova. However, in 2007 Serena staged a dramatic comeback in Melbourne by defeating Maria Sharapova in the women's final.
Most recently, Venus took her fourth the women's title at Wimbledon against France's Marion Bartoli in the July final.
Off the court, Serena and Venus were the subjects of a reality TV show on the ABC Family network entitled Venus and Serena : For Real, which debuted in July 2005.
Williamssisters.org - Profiles, rankings, the latest news and complete biographies, picture galleries, message board and related links.

Arthur Ashe

Arthur Robert Ashe, Jr. (July 10, 1943 – February 6, 1993) was a prominent African American tennis player who was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. During his playing career, he won three Grand Slam titles. Ashe is also remembered for his efforts to further social causes.

Hank Aaron

Henry Louis "Hank" Aaron (born February 5, 1934 in Mobile, Alabama), nicknamed "Hammer", "Hammerin' Hank”, or "Bad Henry”, is a retired American baseball player whose Major League Baseball (MLB) career spanned from 1954 through 1976. After playing with the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro American League and in the minor leagues, Aaron started his Major League Baseball career in 1954. He played 21 seasons with the Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves in the National League, and his last two years (1975-1976) with the Milwaukee Brewers in the American League. Throughout his career, Aaron had many accomplishments and records. His most notable achievement was setting the MLB record for most career home runs with 755, which he held for 33 years until being surpassed by San Francisco Giants outfielder Barry Bonds on August 7, 2007.
During his professional career, Aaron performed at a consistently high level for an extended period of time. He hit 24 or more home runs every year from 1955 through 1973, and is the only player to hit 30 or more home runs in a season at least 15 times.[citation needed] He is one of only four players to have at least 17 seasons with 150 or more hits.[citation needed]. Aaron made the All-Star team every year from 1955 until 1975[1] and won three Rawlings Gold Glove Awards. In 1957 he won the National League Most Valuable Player Award, while that same year, the Milwaukee Braves won the World Series. It was Aaron's one World Series victory during his career as a player.
Aaron's consistency helped him to establish a number of important hitting records during his 23-year career. Aaron holds the MLB records for the most career runs batted in (2,297), the most career extra base hits (1,477), and the most career total bases (6,856). He is also in the top five for career hits with 3,771 (3rd) and runs with 2,174 (tied for 4th with Babe Ruth). He also is in second place in At-bats (12,364) and in third place in Games (3,298).
To honor Aaron's contributions to Major League Baseball, MLB created the Hank Aaron Award, an annual award given to the hitters voted the most effective in each respective league. He is the last Negro league baseball player to play in the major leagues.[2] He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982, his first year of eligibility.
In 1999, editors at The Sporting News ranked Hank Aaron 5th on their list of "Baseball's 100 Greatest Players". That same year, baseball fans named Aaron to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.

Frank Robinson

On this date in 1974 baseball , Frank Robinson becomes manager of the Cleveland Indians baseball club. Robinson was former Most Valuable Player (MVP) in both leagues, Cincinnati and Baltimore. He was the first African American manager in major league baseball.

Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson

became the first African-American major league baseball player of the modern era in 1947.[1] While not the first African American professional baseball player in United States history, his Major League debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers ended approximately eighty years of baseball segregation, also known as the baseball color line. In the United States at this time, many white people believed that blacks and whites should be segregated or kept apart in many phases of life, including sports and daily life. The Baseball Hall of Fame inducted Robinson in 1962 and he was a member of six World Series teams. He earned six consecutive All-Star Game nominations and won several awards during his career. In 1947, Robinson won The Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award and the first Rookie of the Year Award. Two years later, he was awarded the National League MVP Award. In addition to his accomplishments on the field, Jackie Robinson was also a forerunner of the Civil Rights Movement. He was a key figure in the establishment and growth of the Freedom Bank, an African-American owned and controlled entity, in the 1960s. He also wrote a syndicated newspaper column for a number of years, in which he was an outspoken supporter of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.[2]

Coach John Thompson

John Thompson Jr. (born September 2, 1941 in Washington, D.C.) is a former basketball coach for the Georgetown University Hoyas. He is now a professional radio and TV sports commentator. In 1984, he became the first African-American head coach to win the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship when Georgetown defeated the University of Houston 84-75

Two Of The Greatests!

Wilt Chambelin

Wilt Chamberlin was a 7'1 CENTER. He was nicknamed Wilt "Stilt" Chamberlin. He was perhaps the greatest scorer in the history of basketball. He once scored 100 points in one game; but scoring was not the only thing he did. On November 24,1960, Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors, pulled down an NBA record 55 rebounds, against the Boston Celtics at Convention Hall in Philadelphia. In that game he scored 34 points, and dished out 4 assists, despite his numbers the Warriors still lost

Michael "Air" Jordan

Retired American professional basketball player and active businessman. He is widely considered the greatest basketball player of all time, and was among the most effectively marketed athletes of his generation. Jordan was instrumental in popularizing the National Basketball Association (NBA) around the world in the 1980s and 1990s.
After a stand-out career at the University of North Carolina, Jordan joined the NBA's Chicago Bulls in 1984. He quickly emerged as one of the stars of the league, entertaining crowds with his prolific scoring. His leaping ability, illustrated by performing slam dunks from the free throw line at Slam Dunk Contests, earned him the nicknames "Air Jordan" and "His Airness". He also gained a reputation as one of the best defensive players in basketball. In 1991, he won his first NBA championship with the Bulls, and followed that achievement with titles in 1992 and 1993, securing a "three-peat". Though Jordan abruptly left the NBA in October 1993 to pursue a career in baseball, he rejoined the Bulls in 1995 and led them to three additional championships (1996, 1997, and 1998). His 1995–96 Bulls team won an NBA-record 72 regular-season games. Jordan retired for a second time in 1999, but he returned for two more NBA seasons as a member of the Washington Wizards.
Jordan's individual accolades and accomplishments include five NBA MVP (Most Valuable Player) awards, ten All-NBA First Team designations, nine All-Defensive First Team honors, fourteen NBA All-Star Game appearances and three All-Star MVPs, ten scoring titles, three steals titles, six NBA Finals MVP awards, and the 1988 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award. He holds the NBA record for highest career regular season scoring average with 30.1 points per game, as well as averaging a record 33.4 points per game in the playoffs. In 1999, he was named the greatest North American athlete of the 20th century by ESPN, and was second to Babe Ruth on the Associated Press's list of athletes of the century.
Jordan is also noted for his product endorsements. He fueled the success of Nike's Air Jordan sneakers, which were introduced in 1985 and remain popular today. Jordan also starred in the 1996 feature film Space Jam. He is currently a part-owner and Managing Member of Basketball Operations of the Charlotte Bobcats in his home state of North Carolina.

Jim Ellis

Ellis is the subject of the film Pride which tells the story of a swim coach and youth mentor who built a successful swimming program in one of Philly’s most impoverished neighborhoods in the 1970s. When Ellis founded the P.D.R. swim team in 1971, it was a time when the lives of young African-American teens in Philadelphia were often full of hardship and prejudice. The film shows this uplifting and soulful story of Ellis’ journey that pulled together a group of troubled inner-city kids, made them into a dedicated team, and taught them how to overcome adversity through hard work and determination. Jim Ellis taught his P.D.R. swimmers more than just how to compete in the water; he taught them important and life-changing lessons that would prepare them for a better future. But through this emotional journey, Coach Ellis also discovers his team has a lot to teach him as well. Pride stars recent Oscar nominee Terrence Howard (Hustle and Flow, Crash, Ray), popular comedian turned actor Bernie Mac (The Bernie Mac Show, Kings of Comedy, Ocean’s Eleven), and Kimberly Elise (star of CBS series Close to Home).

Earl Lloyd

Earl Lloyd became the first to play in an NBA regular-season game because the schedule had his Washington team opening one day before the others.

Chuck Cooper

Chuck Cooper became the first black player to be drafted when he was chosen by the Boston Celitcs

Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton

Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton became the first to sign an NBA contract when he signed with New York,

Louise Stokes and Tydia Pickett

Louise Stokes and Tydia Pickett were the first African-American woman to be in the Olympics in 1932. The 2 woman were qualified in track and field events, but the coach only entered team members that were white, so both Louise and Tydia did not actually compete in the games.

"Tiger" Woods

Masters Tournament, PGA, April 13, 1997 Cypress, California

In 1997, California-born Tiger Woods became the first golfer of African-American heritage to win the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia. He also became the first African-American golfer to win the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open, and the British Open. In capturing the Masters for a second time in 2001, Woods completed golf's Grand Slam to become the only golfer ever to hold all four majors championships at the same time

Anthony Ervin

In 2000 Summer Olympic Games, September 22, 2000 Valencia, CaliforniaThe first African-American U.S. Olympic swim team qualifier and gold medalist in a swimming event was Anthony Ervin. Before a crowd at the Sydney, Australia, swimming venue, he won the 50-meter freestyle.

Greg Gibson

Greg Gibson was the first African-American Greco-Roman wrestler (220 pounds) to medal, winning the silver in 1984

Charlie Sampson

In 1982, Charlie Sampson became the first African-American world champion rodeo bullrider. The 134-pound "Mighty Mite" also won the Winston Rodeo the same year.

Ruth White

17-year-old Ruth White was the youngest and first African-American woman to win the National Fencing Championship. She was selected to fence on the 1972 U.S. Olympic team.

Atoy Wilson

U.S. Figure Skating Championships, 1966 Berkeley, CaliforniaAtoy Wilson was the first African-American man to win a national figure skating title in the men's novice category of the U.S. National Championships. He also competed in the men's juniors in Philadelphia in 1968.

Cisero Murphy

U.S. National Billiards Championship, 1965 Burbank, California In 1965, Cisero Murphy became the first African-American National Billiards champion after the color bar to the World Invitational championships was dropped. He was the first and only player ever to win in his first championship match

Burl Toler

National Football League, September 19 1965 San Francisco, CaliforniaBurl Toler was named by NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle to be the first African-American football field judge in the NFL.

Donald Barksdale

In 1948 Summer Olympic Games, 1948 Berkeley, CaliforniaUCLA's Donald Barksdale, the first African American named to a U.S. Olympic basketball team, went on to win a gold

Martin Luther King Jr.

Let Freedom Ring!

The Rev. Martin Luther King changed the course of American history with his leadership of the civil rights movement. His philosophy of answering injustice with acts of nonviolent civil disobedience helped open white America's eyes to America's racial inequality. King's legendary speeches were equal parts logic and music — finely reasoned arguments firmly based on religious and philosophical principles, delivered in the ringing, rhythmic style of the Southern preacher. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. He is also the first black american honored by a national Holiday .King was assassinated in Memphis, Tenn., in 1968.

I Have A Dream Video

Willie Thrower

NFL's first African-American quarterback when he appeared in a game for the Chicago Bears on Oct. 18, 1953; never appeared in another game and it would be 15 years before another African-American quarterback would take a snap in a pro game; cut by the Bears the next year and played in the Canadian Football League until a separated shoulder forced him to retire at age 27; led Michigan State to national championship in 1952. He died of a heart attack.

Grant Fuhr, 1981

The first black to have his name on the Stanley Cup and to be inducted in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Integral member of the 1980s Edmonton Oilers.