Arthur Ashe

Althea Gibson was the first African-American to play in the U. S. Lawn Tennis Nationals at Forest Hills, NY. Major names in basketball were Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, Bob Cousy, Oscar Robertson and Dolph Schayes. Another favorite, boxing, gave opportunities to great athletes, Sugar Ray Robinson and Rocky Marciano.

Althea has seen prejudice and discrimination in the entirety of her lifetime despite the many titles and awards she was given. Her life began with the Great Migration and lasted till the Civil Rights Movement. Even though people were prejudice and discriminated against her, she overcame those obstacles. Althea will be remembered as one of the best in tennis for her outstanding performance.

being one of the first African-Americans to play on the United States Davis Cup team (“Life Story - Arthur Ashe, para. 3, 15). Arthur Ashe became an official professional tennis player in 1970, and his criticisms of South Africa’s racial policy lead to him being banned from the South Africa open tournament, leading to South Africa’s exclusion in the 1970 Davis Cup. (The

Jackie Robinson became an inspiration in the years of segregation. Jackie broke the MLB color barrier that proved that it doesn't matter what color you are to be able to play Baseball or do anything. Jackie Robinson was one of the people to help end segregation so the colored people had their freedom and rights. There was important years in his life from his childhood, to first years of baseball then to his rookie year of the MLB.

Do you know anyone who has impacted history and the world by playing an everyday sport? This person is Jackie Robinson. Robinson changed baseball history by being the first African American baseball player who helped future generations of African Americans to do the same in all sports. As a tribute to her husband, Rachel Islum created a foundation to help kids with scholarships and mentoring (Jackie Robinson).

Showing athletic prowess and passion for the sport, Gibson moved to Wilmington, North Carolina in 1946 for further tennis training. In 1947, when she was just 20, she won the first of 10 consecutive national championships she participated in. The American Tennis Association was the governing body for a still segregated sport, black tournaments.

“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

One man changed the world of sports by becoming the first ever African American to ever play a professional sport as an African-American. Jackie Robinson affected the sporting world and it would not be the way it is today but it wasn't easy for him. Jackie Robinson started going to school young. He started to go to school at age three with his sister. His sister’s teachers were not happy that his sister brought him so he had to sit outside of the classroom during school.

He has been the greatest inspiration for sports in my life because he has taught me some many things like treating my team like family and like my brothers. I could not pick any one else to look up to because there very few people who can cause the stop of a racist act in such a big association and jackie did one of those. All kids and adults who have dreams to stop something bad going on can now do it. They have the strength to do it because of who he is and what jackie has done in

During the earlier years of my tennis career, about the age of seven, my parents had learned of a nearby organization at Watkins Park Maryland. The organization was known as the Prince George’s Tennis and Education Foundation. It was here where I began to make my largest strides in my life, both academically and athletically.

Before I begin to talk about Arthur Ashe, I feel that it would be appropriate to talk about what was going on around the world at the time. One of the reasons why Arthur Ashe was famous was because he was African American and in that time period, americans found themselves question the ideals of the country. Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence "that all men are created equal", yet africans were segregated from everything; from schools to water fountains. Africans were treated like second class citizens even though many of them have brought fame and honor to the country. Many black athletes would go on to shock the world, including Jesse Owens who would win four gold medals in the 1936 in Nazi Germany Olympics, and Jackie Robinson who became the first major league african american baseball player. Among these famous players was Arthur Robert Ashe Jr.

It wasn’t easy for Jackie Robinson as he faced discrimination from fellow teammates, players, and fans. In paragraph three, the text states, “my own teammates refused to accept me because I was black. I had been forced to live with snubs and rebuffs and rejections.” Even though Jackie Robinson was hated and treated badly by other people, he responded in a very different way than others would respond. Jackie cept his cool and proved himself in games. In paragraph 10, the text states, “It was one thing for me out there on the playing field to be able to keep my cool in the face of insults.” Jackie Robinson was not only a role model for his country, but for the African American community. In paragraph ten, the text states, “Suppressed and repressed for so many years, they needed a victorious black man as a symbol. It would help them believe in themselves.” In conclusion, Jackie Robinson impacted the United States in a positive way because he paved the way for African American players to play in the Major

When Ashe was born, Monument Avenue in Richmond was lined solely with statues of confederate leaders like Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee; now a bronze statue of Arthur Ashe, holding a book and a tennis racquet in his hands, surrounded by children, stands on that same street. His legacy lives on in the naming of the main court at the US Open, the Arthur Ashe Learning Center, and the Arthur Ashe Courage Award given annually at the ESPYS. Fittingly, the award recognizes athletes and non-athletes for their accomplishments on and off the field. Past recipients of the award include Jim Valvano, Pat Tillman, Nelson Mandela, and Tommie Smith. These are just a few of the ways, that Arthur Ashe, three-time Grand Slam champion, has been lionized

Purpose Statement: The purpose of my speech is to inform my audience about the history of tennis and about tennis itself.

Billie Jean King: Portrait of a Pioneer shows the dedication and drive that women had to have in order to be successful at sports in the twentieth contrary. Billie Jean King who came from a very athletic family first got her inspiration to succeed at sports from the athletic sermons she herd in church every Sunday as a young child. One of her friends was starting to play tenses and she wanted to start also. After working around the neighborhood to earn the money for her first racket, Billie Jean King overcame many obstacles along with great personal struggles to become the best professional tennis player of her time.