The famous gymnast Gabby Douglas was 16 when she made history as the first African-American Olympian to win the individual all-around event (biography.com). Gabby Douglas went through a lot to get to where she was. She once said “The hard days are the best because that is where champions are made, so if you can push through, you can push through anything!” With her hard working spirit, and determination Gabby Douglas pushed through the hard days and became a champion. Gabby Douglas went through many things in her childhood, starting from when she was born on December 31, 1995, in Virginia Beach, Virginia (usagym.org). It was not long from when she was born that she was diagnosed with a fatal disease called Branched Chain Ketoaciduria (Grace).
Florence Joyner was born December 21, 1959, in Los Angeles, California. When she was a kid she loved competition, by age 7 she competing in track. Florence couldn’t afford college so she started working as a bank teller. Then, she later she was in UCLA in 1980, and won the NCAA 200-meter title.
Mary Lou dominated the world of gymnastics. She made records and had fun doing it. She is still an idol for gymnasts today. That's why I think Mary Lou Retton is the most supreme gymnast
Clearly, Laurie’s biggest accomplishment is performing in the 2016 Rio Olympics, but nobody know what led up to that. Laurie met Maggie Haney when she was only six years old at her first gymnastic class. It was then Haney pushed Hernandez to attend the USA Gymnastics development camps at age nine, which, of course, she excelled at. (Laurie)
For example,“Her accomplishments were revolutionary because of the impact on black America. She proved that blacks, when given an opportunity, could compete at any level in American society(Truong).” This quote not only shows that Althea proved what African American women could do but it opened doors for AA because without her incredible success and ability and opportunities to play at such high levels AA may not have the chance to compete at high levels like they can now. Second, since the beginning of Althea's career she had started to break barriers because “Back in the 1930s and '40s, when Ms. Gibson first started playing tennis, black players weren't allowed to compete against white players. But she was so good that she soon dominated the all-black tournament circuit.
Like Jackie Robinson Melba Beals was also broke through the color barrier. Melba Beals was the first African American to step foot in Little Rock High school, Arizona. It was an
Gabby Douglas was the first African-American female gymnast in Olympic history to become the individual All-Around champion. In the 2012 Olympic Games, she won gold in the team competition and the individual competition. She is a gymnastics phenom. From the beginning of her career to where she is today, she has been a true trooper through everything. Gabrielle Douglas is an inspiration to me and many others because she overcame being homeless,moved in with a new family, and won Olympic gold in gymnastics.
The first African American pro sports player, the former Brooklyn Dodger, Jackie Robinson, is the definition of the American Dream. He is the perfect example on what our country can bring to anyone that works hard enough for it. Jackie Robinson achieved amazing accomplishments during his time. Raised from a plantation in Georgia, Jackie Robinson was athletically gifted and was a stand out in high school and at UCLA where he did track, basketball, football, and baseball. On top of that Jackie Robinson went on to be the first African American in American pro sports and led to eventually all sports being filled with other races.
“You don’t make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas.” This quote relates to Shirley Chisholm because even though she was a women and African American, it did not stop her from becoming a congresswoman. Also becoming the first African American Women to run for presidency (biography.com). Shirley Chisholm’s life was influenced by her early life. Their major accomplishments to American society including becoming the first African American congresswoman helped them earn their place in history as an important African American.
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.
"You Can Do Anything You Want, Even If You Are Being Told Negative Things. Stay Strong and Find Motivation." Misty Copeland, an African American dancer, who fought through multiple hardships in her childhood.
Achievement has no color (“Abraham Lincoln”). Being a successful athlete takes dedication and talent. Now, being the first ever African American athlete on an all-white league takes guts! For Jack Robinson, he tackled an early life of poverty and racist threats all while becoming a legend.
There are so many African Americans who have paved the way by inspiring me to excel. Shirley Chisholm is foremost the most inspirational African American who has guided my path. For the most part, this African American changed history within the United States; therefore, she provided hope and inspiration within African American communities. Specifically, Shirley Chisholm showed everyone that she would change the lives of her fellow people by becoming the first black American woman to become a congresswoman in 1968. When Shirley Chisholm became the first black American woman to become a congresswoman, she represented the state of New York for seven terms in the House of Representatives.
Shirley Chisholm, first African American woman to be elected to Congress was born in Brooklyn on November 30, 1924. She is one of the most profound and admired women that challenged society not only as a woman, but a woman of color. She made many contributions to the women's movement and society.
Dating back to 1900, the first black person to compete in the Olympics was Constantin Henriquez de Zubiera, a rugby player that participated in the 1900 Paris Games. George Poage was a U.S hurdler who won two bronze medals and was the first African American to receive medals at the 1904 Olympic games in St. Louis, Montana. The first American track and field star was John Baxter Taylor who won a gold medal at the 1908 London Games with his relay team. In an individual event, DeHart Hubbard became the first African American to win gold in the long jump competition at the 1924 Paris Olympics. Alice Coachman placed first at the 1948 London Olympics taking home a gold medal as a high jumper. This was the first gold medal won by an African American
To auspicate, Althea Gibson and Barbara C. Jordan were two African American women that were brave enough to surpass their odds and do what many other thought they couldn't. Both of these woman were African American which meant that they both weren't able to do things the whites could have done easily. Althea Gibson was the first African American woman to play tennis at a high level. Barbara C. Jordan was the first African American woman to be elected to the