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The Untold Stories of Black History
The Knightly News is highlighting nine Black and African Americans across various fields who have broken barriers and distinguished themselves through their lives and careers.
Althea Gibson
Renowned as both a tennis and golf player, Althea Gibson broke barriers in both sports. In the 1960s, she became the first Black woman to compete in a professional golf tour — however, she is most remembered today for her skills and distinctions as a tennis player. By the early 1950s, Black players were excluded from most tournaments, but it was during that time when she became the first African American to play in the U.S. Nationals (the precursor to the U.S. Open) and Wimbledon. In the following years, her athletic prowess made her one of the top-ranked tennis players in the nation and eventually led her to win a Grand Slam title in 1956, becoming the first African American to do so. Gibson has been compared to Jackie Robinson, but she was a trailblazer in her own right, with other players like Arthur Ashe, Evonne Goolagong, and Venus and Serena Williams following in her footsteps and leaving their own mark in the world of tennis.
The Knightly News 