Althea Gibson: The First Tennis Player

I have never seen such ambitiousness and hope, I was amazed how strong everyone in the video were, not just Arthur and William ,but also their family and friends. Such attitude and hard work is what we real need to be successful. There were so many obstacles that were in both of the players yet they fought for what they love and their goals. The Hoop Dreams show how our system is set to only benefit those who have the money not those who have the dream and the skills. If william and Arthur had a stable financial, their life would have been so much easier to make it to the professional level. There are many issues that these two athletes faced in young aged, money, family issues, struggles in school are the common issues both Arthur Agee and William Gates faced.

You have a dream. Do not let your dreams be dreams. Althea Gibson and Barbara Jordan both had a dream. Some people thought it would never happen, but with some perseverance and determination, they made their dreams come true. Although these two may seam alike, they also have some key differences. According to the articles Althea Gibson and Barbara C. Jordan, it is evident that they were both very successful African American women with the odds against them. On the other hand, both had different achievements.

Michael Jordan and Larry Bird have a lot in common. Both were picked in the first round, both taller than 6 foot 3 inches, right handed have won more than 2 NBA titles, signed with a shoe deal. Both of their NBA debuts where in October but not the same year. 3 point FG% were over 30. FG% was over 49%.

Althea Gibson was an African American woman born August 25, 1957 in Silver, North Carolina. She attended Florida Agricultural and Mechanical School and later Lincoln University as an athletic instructor. In her early life she moved to Harlem, New York, New York because of the Great Depression. She was also increased in basketball and paddle tennis. She quickly became good at tennis and people stared o notice, so Robert Walter Johnson coached, mentored, and sponsored her. She went on to win 11 Grand Slam titles, cementing her legacy, was the first black woman to play professional tennis, and on top of that she broke he racial barrier in tennis. She also played tennis, played he saxophone, and wrote an autobiography called “I Always wanted to

Althea Gibson (August 25, 1927- September 28, 2003), also known as the tennis Jackie Robinson, was the first African-American woman to not only play amateur tennis but also join the Ladies Professional Golf Association. Althea Gibson was one of the most influential and significant figures in African-American women’s sports history (Douglas). Althea was the figurehead that established that blacks were equal competitors in sports (Gould). On the streets of Harlem, New York City is where Althea got her start; Traveling the globe breaking racial barriers in different countries and winning their tennis tournaments is what Althea did. Although she did not receive any monetary gain from her winnings she did receive many awards and trophies, as well as the meeting of many important individuals.

Jordan was a civil rights activist. She was a African American woman in the 1900’s. Being an African American woman in the 1900’s wasn’t easy. The women didn't get certain jobs because they are women and they “should do” household things. Jordan was the first African American woman to have a seat in the Texas Legislature.

There a many stereotypes that are explored in the film Hoop Dreams. Both William Gates and Arthur Agee fit into the stereotype of great basketball players who aren’t very successful academically. Over time as they advanced in High School this stereotype manifested to where they were unable to play at the professional level they all dreamed about when they were kids. As most parents would want to believe about their children, they want them to be successful academically and athletically. This stereotype was exploded as the documentary progressed.

Winning the Girls 14s National Tennis Championships gave Natalia Kochkodan the chance to make a difference in the world and she jumped right onto that opportunity. In the 18 years that she has lived since the win, she has created a non for profit organization that assists disease stricken children in playing sports, has donated over 10 million dollars to several children’s charities including Ball For All and Project Fit

Oveta Culp Hobby is known for her many achievements. She was “the first director of the Women’s Army Corps” and built an army from nothing (Farrar). Later on, she became a cabinet member for President Eisenhower and was the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare. We remember her today because she is the reason why women received opportunities to join the army (Oveta Culp Hobby). Frances Farenthood was a lawyer and politician from Texas. She was the runner-up vice-president candidate to be nominated for that position for the election of 1972, making her the first woman to actually be viable for this position (it was very close, she lost at 48% of votes) Also, she campaigned for governor of Texas twice, but lost. (Frances 'Sissy ' Farenthold). Texas’ second female governor, Ann Richards left a huge impact on the Lone Star State. She fought for women’s and minorities’ rights and was well-liked by many people because of her humor and wittiness. Even after failing to be re-elected (she lost to George W. Bush), she still cared about the people very much and continued to speak about equal rights for all (Ann Richards Biography). Barbara Jordan was the first African American congresswoman and first African American in the Texas Senate. Another highlight about her life was that she was also the first African American women to deliver the keynote

History has referred to her as "the Jackie Robinson of tennis" for breaking the color barrier. On August 22, 1950, Althea Gibson, an American sportswoman, became the first African-American woman to be a competitor on the world tennis tour. She was the first to win a 'grand slam' title in 1957. She was a pioneer in both amateur tennis and professional golf forging a road for future greats to include Tiger Woods and Venus Williams. She was also the first black woman on the LPGA tour.

“It is different to imagine tennis without Serena Williams who have influenced a generation of female players and left a mark that no sibling in sport’s can equal”. (Glyn Clarke) Her prominence in tennis is growing this includes her impact on inspiring African American tennis players. Before Williams, black athletes faced unique challenges, but Williams helped promote progress , instead of over focusing on the negativity. She is working so that future athletes won't have to face the same inequality . “ Serena has been at or near the top of her sport longer than almost any other athletes. ”(Lindsay Gibbs) Before Serena entered no female had earned over 56 million dollars in prize money . Tennis today is much more depth and quality competition than existed during the 1970s and 1980s. When became the second African American women to claim a Grand Slam title , later becoming a U.S. Open Champion. Before Serena no tennis player brought a mixture of maturity, fashion , business and a foot in the entertainment realm as an actress. Williams had been the likely target for a new generation of record chasers yet to

Do you think it would be possible to achieve what Ruth McBride Jordan achieved in today 's society?

Serena Williams is the number one women’s tennis player in the world. Her outstanding skills have earned her 50 million dollars through just prizes; that is more than any other athlete in the world (“Serena Williams Fast Facts”). Her fast reflexes, amazing skills, and outgoing personality have made her known as a powerful woman and an inspiration to many young girls. This African-American woman is almost six feet tall and is made of steel. With her long, muscular legs and her quick arms, no wonder she is number one!

One of the biggest things that she pushed for in her career was equal pay for men and women in sports. This was a struggle for her as she had trouble paying for her tennis. In the early days of her playing she was not allowed in the picture of her first tennis club because she was not wearing the proper tennis skirt, but instead had on shorts. Her family did not have a lot of extra money to put into her expensive tennis career and it was hard for them to afford the elitists sport. She along with other women had to stand up and risk being band from the tennis league when they signed one dollar contracts with the Virginia Slims to bring attention to the struggle for equal play. It became apparent to Billy even from the young age that she was when she was not allowed in the picture because of her attire that women where not

Michael jordan set many goals for himself.The goals he set for himself,helped him understand that he needed to concentrate on his goals only his.By him setting himself on his goals made him reach them that shows me i can reach my goals.