List of African-American sports firsts
From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. 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".[1][2]
The world of sports is commonly invoked in the frequently cited example of Jackie Robinson, who was the first African American of the modern era to become a Major League Baseball player, ending 60 years of segregated Negro Leagues.[3]
Contents
19th century
1878
- First African-American baseball player in organized professional baseball: John W. "Bud" Fowler.[4]
1884
- First African American to play professional baseball at the major-league level: Moses Fleetwood Walker.[5] (See also: Jackie Robinson, 1947)
1899
- First African American to achieve world championship in any sport: Marshall "Major" Taylor, for 1-mile track cycling[6]
20th century
1902
- First African-American professional basketball player: Harry Lew (New England Professional Basketball League)[7] (See also: 1950)
- First African-American boxing champion, Joe Gans a lightweight
1904
- First African American to participate in the Olympic Games, and first to win a medal: George Poage (two bronze medals)[8]
1908
- First African-American heavyweight boxing champion: Jack Johnson[9]
- First African-American Olympic gold medal winner: John Taylor (Track and field medley relay team).[10] (See also: DeHart Hubbard, 1924)
1910s
1916
- First African-American football player to play in a Rose Bowl game: Fritz Pollard, Brown University[11]
1917
- First African-American woman to win a major sports title: Lucy Diggs Slowe, American Tennis Association[12]
1920s
1920
- First African-American NFL football players: Fritz Pollard (Akron Pros) and Bobby Marshall (Rock Island Independents)[13]
1921
- First African-American NFL football coach: Fritz Pollard, co-head coach, Akron Pros, while continuing to play running back[13]
1924
- First African American to win individual Olympic gold medal: DeHart Hubbard (Long jump, 1924 Summer Olympics).[14] (See also: John Taylor, 1908)
1929
- First African-American sportscaster: Sherman "Jocko" Maxwell (WNJR, Newark, New Jersey)[15]
1940s
1947
- First African-American Major League Baseball player of the modern era: Jackie Robinson (Brooklyn Dodgers).[16] (See also: Moses Fleetwood Walker, 1884)
- First African-American consensus college All-American basketball player: Don Barksdale[17]
1948
- First African-American woman to win an Olympic gold medal: Alice Coachman[18]
- 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
- First African American to win an MVP award in Major League Baseball: Jackie Robinson (Brooklyn Dodgers, National League)[19] (See also: Elston Howard, 1963)
1950s
1950
- First African-American woman to compete on the world tennis tour: Althea Gibson[20]
- First African-American NBA basketball players: Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton (New York Knicks), Chuck Cooper (Boston Celtics), and Earl Lloyd (Washington Capitols).[21] Note: Harold Hunter was the first to sign an NBA contract, signing with the Washington Capitols on April 26, 1950.[22][23] However, he was cut from the team during training camp and did not play professionally.[24][Note 1] (See also: 1902)
1951
- First African American named to the College Football Hall of Fame: Duke Slater, University of Iowa (1918–1921)[25]
- First African-American quarterback to become a regular starter for a professional football team: Bernie Custis (Hamilton Tiger-Cats) [26]
1953
- First African-American basketball player to play in the NBA All-Star Game: Don Barksdale in the 1953 NBA All-Star Game[17]
- First African-American quarterback to play in the National Football League during the modern (post-World War II) era: Willie Thrower (Chicago Bears)[27]
1956
- First African American to break the color barrier in a bowl game in the Deep South: Bobby Grier, (Pittsburgh Panthers in the 1956 Sugar Bowl)[28]
- First African-American Wimbledon tennis champion: Althea Gibson (doubles, with Englishwoman Angela Buxton); also first African American to win a Grand Slam event (French Open).[29] (See also: Arthur Ashe, 1968; Serena Williams, 2003)
- First African American to win the Cy Young Award as the top pitcher in Major League Baseball, in the award's inaugural year: Don Newcombe (Brooklyn Dodgers)[30]
1959
- First African American to win a major national player of the year award in college basketball: Oscar Robertson, USBWA Player of the Year[Note 2] (in that award's inaugural year)
1960s
1961
- First African American to win the Heisman Trophy: Ernie Davis
- First African-American to join the PGA Tour: Charlie Sifford [31]
1962
- First African American to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame: Jackie Robinson (See also: Satchel Paige, 1971)
- First African-American coach in Major League Baseball: John Jordan "Buck" O'Neil (Chicago Cubs)
1963
- First African American to be named American League MVP: Elston Howard (New York Yankees) (See also: Jackie Robinson, 1949)
- First African Americans inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame: New York Renaissance, inducted as a team. (See also: Bob Douglas, 1972; Bill Russell, 1975; Clarence Gaines, 1982)
- First African American to win a NASCAR Grand National event: Wendell Scott. See also 2015.
1964
- First African-American baseball player to be named the Major League Baseball World Series MVP: Bob Gibson, St. Louis Cardinals[32]
1966
- First African-American coach in the National Basketball Association: Bill Russell (Boston Celtics)
- First African-American Major League Baseball umpire: Emmett Ashford
- First African-American NFL broadcaster: Lowell W. Perry[citation needed] (CBS, on Pittsburgh Steelers games) (See also: 1957)
1967
- First African American to win a PGA Tour event: Charlie Sifford (1967 Greater Hartford Open Invitational)
- First African American to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Emlen Tunnell
1968
- First African-American man to win a Grand Slam tennis event: Arthur Ashe (US Open) (See also: Althea Gibson, 1956; Serena Williams, 2003)
- First African American to start at quarterback in the modern era of professional football: Marlin Briscoe (Denver Broncos, AFL)
- First African-American coach to win NBA Championship: Bill Russell
1970s
1970
- First African-American basketball player to win the NBA All Star MVP, the NBA Finals MVP, & 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)[Note 3]
1972
- First African-American National Basketball Association general manager: Wayne Embry
- First African American inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame: Team-owner and coach Bob Douglas, in the category of "contributor" (See also: New York Renaissance, 1963; player Bill Russell, 1975; coach Clarence Gaines, 1982)
1975
- First African American inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player: Bill Russell (See also: New York Renaissance, 1963; Bob Douglas, 1972; Clarence Gaines, 1982)
- First African-American manager in Major League Baseball: Frank Robinson (Cleveland Indians)
- First African American to play in a men's major golf championship: Lee Elder (The Masters)
- First African American to be named Super Bowl MVP in NFL: Franco Harris (Pittsburgh Steelers). Of mixed heritage, Harris was also first Italian American to win the award.
1977
- First African-American Major League Baseball general manager: Bill Lucas (Atlanta Braves)
1979
- First African-American head football coach in Division I-A: Willie Jeffries (Wichita State)
1980s
1981
- First African American to play in the NHL: Val James (Buffalo Sabres)[Note 4]
1982
- First African American inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach: Clarence Gaines (See also: New York Renaissance, 1963; Bob Douglas, 1972; Bill Russell, 1975)
1984
- First African-American coach to win the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship: John Thompson (Georgetown)
1986
- First African-American Formula One racecar driver: Willy T. Ribbs[Note 5] (See also: Ribbs, 1991)
1987
- First African American to complete a solo sailing circumnavigation of the world via the Suez and Panama Canals[citation needed] (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
- First African-American NFL coach of the modern era: Art Shell, Los Angeles Raiders
1990s
1991
- First African American to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 auto race: Willy T. Ribbs (See also: Ribbs, 1986)
- First African-American NBA Coach of the Year: Don Chaney (Houston Rockets)
1992
- First African-American Major League Baseball manager to reach (and win) the World Series: Cito Gaston (Toronto Blue Jays) 1992 World Series
- First African American to sail solo around the world following the Age of Sail route around the southern tips of South America (Cape Horn) and Africa (Cape of Good Hope), avoiding the Panama and Suez Canals: Bill Pinkney[33] (See also: 1987)
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[Note 6]
1996
- First African-American MLB general manager to win the World Series: Bob Watson (New York Yankees), 1996 World Series
1997
1997
- First African American to win a men's major golf championship: Tiger Woods (The Masters)[Note 6]
- First African-American UFC champion: Maurice Smith
1998
- First African American to play in the Presidents Cup: Tiger Woods[Note 6]
21st century
2002
- First African-American Winter Olympic gold medal winner: Vonetta Flowers (two-woman bobsleigh). (See also: Shani Davis, 2006)
- First African American to become majority owner of a U.S. major sports league team: Robert L. Johnson (Charlotte Bobcats, NBA)[Note 7] (see also 2001)
- First African American to hold the #1 rank in tennis: Venus Williams
- First African American to hold the year-end #1 rank in tennis: Serena Williams
- First African American to be named year-end world champion by the International Tennis Federation: Serena Williams
- First African-American Arena Football League head coach to win ArenaBowl: Darren Arbet (San Jose SaberCats), ArenaBowl XVI
- First African-American general manager in the National Football League: Ozzie Newsome (Baltimore Ravens)
2003
- First African American to win a Career Grand Slam in tennis: Serena Williams (See also: Althea Gibson, 1956; Arthur Ashe, 1968)
2004
- First African-American NBA general manager to win the NBA Finals: Joe Dumars (Detroit Pistons), 2004 NBA Finals
- First African-American Canadian Football League head coach to reach (and win) the Grey Cup: Pinball Clemons (Toronto Argonauts), 92nd Grey Cup
- First African-American inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame: Charlie Sifford
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
- First African-American NFL head coaches to reach the Super Bowl: Lovie Smith and Tony Dungy, Super Bowl XLI[Note 8]
- First African-American NFL head coach to win the Super Bowl: Tony Dungy (Indianapolis Colts), Super Bowl XLI
2008
- First African American to referee a Super Bowl game: Mike Carey (Super Bowl XLII)
- First African-American NFL general manager to win the Super Bowl: Jerry Reese (New York Giants), Super Bowl XLII
2009
- First African-American doubles team to be named year-end world champion by the International Tennis Federation: Serena and Venus Williams
2010s
2014
- First African-American player ever named to the USA Curtis Cup Team: Mariah Stackhouse[34][35]
2015
- First African American to be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame: Wendell Scott[36]
- First African-American commissioner of a major North American sports league: Jeffrey Orridge, Canadian Football League[37]
Notes
- ↑ Clifton was the first to sign an NBA contract and subsequently play, Cooper was the first to be drafted by an NBA team, and Lloyd was the first to play in an NBA regular-season game because his team's opening game was one day before the others.
- ↑ In 1998, the award would be renamed the Oscar Robertson Trophy after its first recipient.
- ↑ At the time, the NCAA had not yet adopted its three-division system. Illinois State was in the NCAA University Division, which became Division I in 1973. The NCAA retroactively considers University Division members to have been Division I members.
- ↑ The NHL had fielded black players for more than 20 years, with the first being Willie O'Ree in 1958, but all previous black players were Black Canadians and not African Americans. In 1996, Mike Grier (Edmonton Oilers) became the first to have been both born and exclusively trained in the U.S., per Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lewis Hamilton became the first black Formula One racer in 2006, but he is a British citizen of Grenadan ancestry, and not an African American. Ribbs did not compete in a race, but drove a Formula One car professionally in January 1986 as a tester for the Brabham–BMW at Estoril, Portugal.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Woods' mixed ancestry — ¼ Chinese, ¼ Thai, ¼ African-American, ⅛ white, and ⅛ Native American — also makes him the first Asian American to achieve this feat. He is also the first of only four golfers of primarily non-European descent to win a men's major, with the others being Vijay Singh (an Indian Fijian), Michael Campbell (a Māori from New Zealand), and Y.E. Yang (South Korean).
- ↑ Announced as Bobcats owner in December 2002, although team did not begin play until 2004.
- ↑ Smith and Dungy both reached this milestone on the same day, although Smith was technically the first due solely to scheduling. The NFC and AFC Championship Games are always held on the same day. In the playoffs that followed the 2006 NFL season, the NFC game was played first.
References
- ↑ Juguo, Zhang (2001). W. E. B. Du Bois: The Quest for the Abolition of the Color Line. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-93087-1
- ↑ Herbst, Philip H (1997). The Color of Words: An Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Ethnic Bias in the United States. Intercultural Press. p. 57. ISBN 978-1-877864-97-1
- ↑ Sailes, Gary Alan (1998). "Jackie Robinson: Breaking the Color Barrier in Team Sports". African Americans in Sport: Contemporary Themes, Transaction Publishers. p. 8. ISBN 978-0-7658-0440-2
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- ↑ Potter 2002, p. 345–346.
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- ↑ Smith 2003, p. 676.
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