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List of African-American sports firsts facts for kids

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African Americans are a demographic minority in the United States. The first achievements by African Americans in various fields historically marked footholds, often leading to more widespread cultural change. The shorthand phrase for this is "breaking the color barrier".

The world of sports generally is invoked in the frequently cited example of Jackie Robinson, who became the first African American of the modern era to become a Major League Baseball player in 1947, after 60 years of segregated Negro leagues.

19th century

1879

  • First African American to play major league baseball: Possibly William Edward White; he played as a substitute in one professional baseball game for the Providence Grays of the National League, on June 21, 1879. Work by the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) suggests that he may have been the first African-American to play major league baseball, predating the longer careers of Moses Fleetwood Walker and his brother Weldy Walker by five years; and Jackie Robinson by 68 years.

1884

1896

1899

  • First African American to win a gold medal at the Track Cycling World Championships: Major Taylor (Sprint). This also made him the first African American to achieve world championship in any sport.

20th century

1902

1904

  • First African American to participate in the Olympic Games, and first to win a medal: George Poage (two bronze medals)

1908

1910s

1916

1917

  • First African American woman to win a major sports title: Lucy Diggs Slowe, American Tennis Association

1920s

1920

1921

1924

1929

1930s

1936

  • First African-American professional baseball player in Japan: Jimmy Bonner

1940s

1946

  • First African American to sign a contract with an NFL team in the modern (post-World War II) era: Kenny Washington

1947

1948

  • First African American woman to win an Olympic gold medal: Alice Coachman
  • First African American on an Olympic basketball team and first African-American Olympic gold medal basketball winner: Don Barksdale, in the 1948 Summer Olympics
  • First African American to design and construct a professional golf course: Bill Powell

1949

1950s

1950

1951

1952

1953

1955

  • First African Americans to play in the Orange Bowl: Charles Bryant and Jon McWilliams (University of Nebraska)

1956

1957

  • First African American NFL assistant coach (receivers coach) of the modern era: Lowell Perry (Pittsburgh Steelers) (See also: 1966)

1958

  • Willie O'Ree debuts with the Boston Bruins in a game against the Montreal Canadiens, becoming the first Black player to play in the NHL. Willie would later be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame 60 years later

1960s

1961

1962

1963

1964

1966

1967

1968

1970s

1970

  • First African-American basketball player to win the NBA All Star MVP, the NBA Finals MVP, and the NBA MVP all in the same season: Willis Reed (New York Knicks)
  • First African-American NCAA Division I basketball coach: Will Robinson (Illinois State University)
  • First African American to initiate the concept of free agency. He refused to accept a trade following the 1969 season, ultimately appealing his case to the U.S. Supreme Court. The trend of free agency expanded across the entire landscape of professional sports for all races and all cultures: Curt Flood (St. Louis Cardinals)

1972

1974

  • First African-American NBA Coach of the Year: Ray Scott (Detroit Pistons)

1975

1977

1979

  • First African-American head football coach in Division I-A: Willie Jeffries (Wichita State)
  • First African-American to play professional basketball behind the Iron Curtain: Kent Washington in January 1979 for KS Start Lublin, Poland.

1980s

1981

1982

1984

1986

1987

  • First African American man to sail around the world solo: Teddy Seymour (See also: 1992)

1988

  • First African-American NFL referee: Johnny Grier
  • First African American to win a medal at the Winter Olympics (a bronze in figure skating): Debi Thomas
  • First African-American quarterback to start (and win) in the Super Bowl: Doug Williams

1989

1990s

1991

1992

1993

  • First African-American to serve as home plate umpire for World Series game: Charlie Williams for Game 4 of the 1993 World Series

1994

  • First African American to win the United States Amateur Championship: Tiger Woods

1996

1997

1998

  • First African American to play in the Presidents Cup: Tiger Woods

21st century

2002

2003

  • First African American to win a Career Grand Slam in tennis: Serena Williams (See also: Althea Gibson, 1956; Arthur Ashe, 1968)

2004

2006

  • First African-American individual Winter Olympic gold medal winner: Shani Davis (men's 1,000 meter speed skating) (See also: Vonetta Flowers, 2002)

2007

2008

2009

  • First African-American doubles team to be named year-end world champion by the International Tennis Federation: Serena and Venus Williams

2010s

2010

2012

  • First African-American gymnast to win the women's artistic individual all-around at the Olympic Games: Gabby Douglas

2013

  • First African American gymnast to win the women's artistic individual all-around at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships: Simone Biles

2014

2015

2018

  • First African American to play for Team USA Hockey in the Olympic Games: Jordan Greenway

2020

2021

  • First full-time female African-American NFL coach: Jennifer King with the Washington Football Team
  • First female African-American NFL referee: Maia Chaka

2022

See also

  • Race and sports
  • List of coaches of Asian heritage in sports leagues in the United States
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List of African-American sports firsts Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.