In honor of Black History Month, I have collected some stories from African-American sports history. I am excited to release three more editions in the next couple of days, and I hope you enjoy these because I enjoyed writing them. With that, let’s get into the start of February!

Winning The Short Race

Story 1

The Story of Jesse Owens and the 1936 Berlin Olympics

The Olympic Stadium in Berlin where Jesse Owens broke his records (via Olympic.com) — **The Olympic Stadium in Berlin where Jesse Owens broke his records** (via Olympic.com)

It’s 1936, and we set our eyes on Berlin, Germany. Yes, yes. Germany will invade Poland in three years, starting World War II, but that is not the topic of today’s story. The Berlin Olympics are, and they are in the middle of the games. The 1936 Berlin Olympics brought in 3,963 athletes from 49 countries, with 129 events. Adolf Hitler gazes across the humongous arena that he built to show off his power, and his eyes set on this one, young, African-American runner named Jesse Owens. Owens had won 3 gold medals that day and was setting his eyes on a fourth. His coach, Lawson Robertson, had pulled Jewish runners Marty Glickman and Sam Stoller from the 4 x 100 because of Hitler’s ideals, which could have put them in trouble. Jesse Owens meets with his teammates, including a fellow African-American runner in Ralph Metcalfe, and they all head to their starting points. The first runners get into their starting positions and the starting gun sounds.

Jesse Owens running on the track (via Biography.com) — **Jesse Owens running on the track** (via Biography.com)

James Cleveland Owens was born on September 12, 1913, in Oakville, Alabama. James was mostly known as “J.C.” at the time. As the time was 1913, the South was segregated. So at the age of nine, J.C. and his family moved north to Cleveland, Ohio. The first accounts of him being called “Jesse” is when his southern accent made his teacher think he was saying his name was “Jesse”, not “J.C.”. Jesse started impressing the large crowds with a record-tying time of 9.4 seconds in the 100-yard dash.

Jesse Owens in his Ohio State uniform (via The News Herald) — **Jesse Owens in his Ohio State uniform** (via The News Herald)

Jesse Owens started attracting even more attention after starting college at Ohio State. Even though he was a star athlete, he still faced racism. He couldn’t eat with his teammates and had to find black-only restaurants. He couldn't sleep in the team’s hotel, he had to find a black hotel. Despite all of these setbacks, Jesse Owens continued on as a top runner in the United States. His college days will mostly be remembered for just 45 minutes, the 45 minutes of glory. It was May 25, 1935, and Jesse was at a Big Ten track meet. Just another track meet, right? No. He tied the world record 9.4 seconds for the 100-yard dash. Then he sets the world record in the long jump. Good day, right? He is not done. He sets the world records for 220-yard sprint and 220 yard low hurdles. WOW! In 45 minutes, this African-American man who couldn’t even eat with his teammates set 3 world records and tied another.

Jesse Owens after being presented with the gold medal (via DW) — **Jesse Owens after being presented with the gold medal** (via DW)

With that, Jesse Owens shows himself as one of the best runners in the United States. With the Olympics coming up, Jesse was selected for the team. People tried to convince him to boycott because of Hitler’s Aryan ideals, but Jesse insisted he would go to prove Hitler wrong. The US team arrives in Germany, and the 1936 Berlin Olympics start. Jesse Owens goes on a tear. Jesse wins the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.3 seconds. The next day, August 5th, he wins the long jump, and wins the 200-meter sprint THE NEXT DAY! In a span of three days, Jesse Owens won three gold medals in Hitler’s stadium. On August 9th, he puts the icing on the cake with a gold medal in the 4 x 100 race.

And that is history. Despite racism, he pushed through and continued to be great. He even went into Germany, a hostile country towards people that didn’t look like them, and won 4 gold medals. What a beautiful way to start this off.

Getting To First Base

Story 2

How Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball

Jackie Robinson will always be known as the pioneer of integrating sports, even though he didn’t do it all himself. However, you can say that he was the first really big African-American superstar in sports. Well, how did he do it? How did he achieve this fame? Let’s look into the life of Jackie Robinson.

Jackie Robinson was a great athlete, even at a young age (via The American Prospect) — **Jackie Robinson was a great athlete, even at a young age** (via The American Prospect)

Jackie Robinson was born on January 31st, 1919, in Cairo, Georgia. Jackie was a great all-around athlete and was a really good track athlete. Robinson continued to excel in sports, going to UCLA. However, his career was put on pause after he was drafted into World War II. Robinson didn’t see any action, and a series of events made him leave the Army. After the two-year pause, he started to get back to baseball.

Jackie Robinson will always be remembered for one number; 42. (via Jackie Robinson.com) — **Jackie Robinson will always be remembered for one number; 42.** (via Jackie Robinson.com)

Everybody knows the rest of the story. He went to the Negro Leagues, excelled, and got a chance to join the MLB. He took that chance and got the best of it. He broke the color barrier and became the Rookie of the Year. Two years later, he quickly became the NL (National League) MVP. He was also the NL batting champion in his MVP season. After his storied career, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame and had his number retired throughout the league. He died at the young age of 53 due to heart problems and diabetes. So, Jackie Robinson will be forever remembered for what he did for the Black community in sports. We will always remember 42.

Around, Over, and Through

Story 3

The Story of Jim Brown

If you ask many people who the best running back of all-time is, most will answer Jim Brown. The man who played for the Browns with the last name Brown on his back. The man who was coached by a white man with the same last name. Maybe you could even say that the 1999 remake of the Browns was named for Jim Brown, not Paul Brown. Even if the Browns weren’t named after Jim Brown, he still has a lot of historical influence. He was one of the first in a wave of Black superstar running backs, that would lead up to a wave of black superstar quarterbacks. Let’s look at the story of Jim Brown, the most physically dominating back to ever play the game.

Jim Brown during his Syracuse playing days. (via Syracuse Orange) — **Jim Brown during his Syracuse playing days.** (via Syracuse Orange)

Jim Brown was born on February 17th, 1936, in St. Simons Island, Georgia. At the age of eight, he moved to Long Island, New York. Jim Brown was also an all-around athlete like Robinson, lettering in lacrosse, football, baseball, basketball, and track. After his great high school career, he went to Syracuse to continue his football career. He succeeded there, getting All-American honors. But his multi-sport career wasn’t done yet, as he was on the basketball, lacrosse, and track teams. He even finished fifth in the National Championships in the decathlon. After his career at Syracuse, he was drafted by the Cleveland Browns.

Jim Brown in his Cleveland Browns uniform. (via Sports Illustrated) — **Jim Brown in his Cleveland Browns uniform.** (via Sports Illustrated)

Jim Brown continued to dominate his competition and was named Rookie of the Year. He was the rushing yards leader for eight years out of his nine years in the league, with only 1962 being the outsider. He was voted into the Pro Bowl every year that he played. Jim Brown records might not be touched ever. And there you have it, the story of one of the first black NFL superstars.

“Did you Know?

Jim Brown held the Long Island basketball points record with 38 points for a long time. Do you know who broke the record? None other than Carl Yastrzemski, who later played baseball for the Boston Red Sox.”

Arms Pumping, Fists Raised

Story 4

The Story of the 1968 Mexico Olympics

Tommie Smith (left) and John Carlos (right) protest with their platform (via History.com) — **Tommie Smith (left) and John Carlos (right) protest with their platform** (via History.com)

This will be the first “moment” of this collection, and rightfully so. This might have been the biggest protest in the whole 20th century for the black community in sports. If you don’t know what I am talking about, it is the 1968 Mexico Olympics. Two African-American track athletes, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, placed Gold and Bronze respectfully. Using their platform, they raised their fists in protest of how Black Americans were treated, as this was in the middle of the civil rights movement.

This was a huge first step for the African-American sports community. Before this, there were no major movements in sports for African-Americans. However, with this, a ton of Black athletes started to protest. Another note here is that 2nd placer Peter Norman of Australia wore a human rights badge but didn’t put his fist up, so he still showed respect for the movement. And there you have it, the first moment of this series, recapped.

Big Men, Big Figures

Story 5

The Stories of Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, and Bill Russell

What do Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, and Bill Russell have in common? Well of course they are all big men, but what do they really have in common? They played in a white-dominated era, and are considered some of the best players of all time. How did they do it? Let’s dive into this.

Wilt Chamberlain during his college days at Kansas (via University Daily Kansan) — **Wilt Chamberlain during his college days at Kansas** (via University Daily Kansan)

Wilt Chamberlain was born on August 21st, 1936, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was one of nine children, and he died of pneumonia when he was young. He was initially interested in basketball, instead, he was a star track athlete. However, the basketball culture of Philadelphia sucked Wilt in. Wilt was always a freak of nature, being 6 feet tall at the age of 10 and 6’11 when he entered high school. And he showed his athletic talent, earning a spot playing for Kansas. He finished college with two All-America honors and an NCAA Tournament MVP and bypassed his senior year of college to instead play for the Harlem Globetrotters, where he could finally earn money.

Oscar Robertson takes the ball up court during his time in Milwaukee (via USA Today) — **Oscar Robertson takes the ball up court during his time in Milwaukee** (via USA Today)

Oscar Robertson was born on November 28, 1938, in Charlotte, Tennessee. He moved to Indianapolis, Indiana when he was just 18 months old. Robertson definitely wasn’t fortunate, as his family could not afford a basketball so he had to improvise. In his junior year of high school, his high school Crispus Attucks finished 31-1 and won the State Championship. With this, Robertson got the attention of Cincinnati. Robertson dominated the landscape, earning many accolades. His achievements include two Helms College Player of the Years, three UPI College Player of the Years, three USBWA College Player of the Years, three Sporting News College Player of the Years, three All-Americans, three-time NCAA Scoring Leader, and his #12 retired at Cincinnati. After his career at Cincinnati, he started playing professional basketball for the Cincinnati Royals.

Bill Russell celebrates after San Francisco wins the 1957 National Championship. (via San Franscisco Dons Website) — **Bill Russell celebrates after San Francisco wins the 1957 National Championship.** (via San Franscisco Dons Website)

Bill Russell was born on February 12th, 1934, in Monroe, Louisiana. Living in the Deep South was hard for young Russell. His father was held at gunpoint by a store manager. His mother had a police officer force her to take her dress off because it was “white woman’s clothes”. When Russell was eight, they moved to Oakland, California, and started to have financial problems. Russell wasn’t a great prospect in high school and didn’t get recruited. However, Hal DeJulio of San Francisco University saw Russell play and decided to give Russell a shot. He wouldn’t regret it. Bill Russell won WCC Player of The Year, UPI player of the year, Helms College Player of The Year twice, and was named All-American twice. Don’t forget that San Francisco won the National Championship twice. With his college career wrapped up, Bill Russell was drafted 3rd overall by the St. Louis Hawks.

Wilt Chamberlain gets defended by Bill Russell (via Bleacher report) — **Wilt Chamberlain gets defended by Bill Russell** (via Bleacher report)

And all of these players had great NBA careers. Bill Russell tallied 11 NBA Championships, five MVPs, 12 All-Stars, three NBA First-Teams, six NBA Second-Teams, All-Defensive First Team, four NBA Rebounding Championships, and his #6 retired by the Celtics. Oscar Robertson finished his career with an NBA Championship, one MVP, 12 All-Stars, nine NBA First-Teams, two NBA Second Teams, Rookie of the Year, six-time NBA Assists Leader, and his #14 retired in Sacramento, while his #1 was retired in Milwaukee. Wilt Chamberlain kept the trend up with two NBA Championships, one NBA Finals MVP, four MVPs, 13 All-Stars, seven NBA First-Teams, three NBA Second-Teams, two All-Defensive Teams, Rookie of the Year, seven-time Scoring Champion, and 11-time Rebounding Champion. Shown by these accolades is how dominant these guys were during a period where white players ruled the league. These big men changed the league and started a new era in basketball and civil rights.

Ervin The Magic Man

Story 6

Larry Bird v Magic Johnson

Bird and Johnson during the 1978 National Championship Game. (via Sports Illustrated) — **Bird and Johnson during the 1978 National Championship Game.** (via Sports Illustrated)

What is a better story than this? One of the best “rivalries” in history, sparking even more rivalries (Lakers v Celtics, etc). Larry Bird vs Magic Johnson. They first met in a matchup that was heavily favored for Magic Johnson’s Michigan State Spartans as they were loaded with talent, and Larry Bird’s Indiana State Sycamores didn’t have the talent pool that Michigan State had. Yet this is the most-viewed college basketball game of all time. Indiana State kept it close, and Magic Johnson and the Spartans won the 75-64. Magic Johnson got All-American honors, won MVP of the Final Four, and entered the 1979 NBA Draft. This was just the start of a rivalry between Johnson and Bird.

Larry Bird and Magic Johnson try and box each other out during a Celtics-Lakers game. (via NBA.com Canada) — **Larry Bird and Magic Johnson try and box each other out during a Celtics-Lakers game.** (via NBA.com Canada)

Bird and Magic, with their new teams the Celtics and Lakers, fought each other in the NBA Finals pretty much every year. One year, Magic might go off. The next, Bird might use his slick passing skills to help the Celtics win. Why is this important enough to be put in an article about black history in sports? Because Magic Johnson brought lots of the viewership. He was one of the first players in the era of Black superstars. Ten years before he entered the league, it was a white league with a couple of Black pioneers. When he entered, people like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, and more, owned the once white-dominated league. In essence, he is as much of a pioneer as they are.

Lessons of Dominance

Story 7

The Stories of Eddie Robinson and John Thompson

Eddie Robinson was born on February 13th, 1919 in Jackson, Louisiana. John Thompson was born on September 2nd, 1941 in Washington D.C. They both were some of the first great black coaches in college sports, and they won many titles. Let’s look into the stories of their lives.

Eddie Robinson talking with one of many players he coached at Grambling State (via Grambling State Tigers Website) — **Eddie Robinson talking with one of many players he coached at Grambling State** (via Grambling State Tigers Website)

Eddie Robinson always wanted to be a coach. He dreamed of it but he knew it wasn’t likely, as he lived in the Jim Crow era. He also knew that his best chance at a head coaching job was at an All-Black college, and he got his chance. The school was Louisiana Normal, now known as Grambling State. Back then, there was no such thing as defensive or offensive coaches, just the head coach. His first year had some stumbles, finishing at a 3-5-1. His fierce, no-nonsense coaching style led him to cut players who didn’t follow rules and recruiting players who did. This led to a perfect season, with Grambling going 9-0. That wasn’t even the best stat of the season. It was that Grambling went 9-0, and didn’t get scored on the WHOLE YEAR! This showed just the start of the dominance that would come.

“Did you Know?

Eddie Robinson was also the basketball coach at Grambling State for a while! Even crazier, the person that hired him (the president) was the baseball coach!”

John Thompson coaches his team with his signature white towel over his shoulder. (via USA Today) — **John Thompson coaches his team with his signature white towel over his shoulder.** (via USA Today)

John Thompson didn’t always want to be a coach, but he wanted to find any way he could to keep himself in the game of basketball. He played basketball at Providence and got All-American honors. He ended up getting drafted by the Boston Celtics, where he won two titles in two years backing up Bill Russell. He retired after his two years in Boston because of being drafted by the expansion franchise of the Chicago Bulls. He found a job in his hometown of Washington D.C, St. Anthony High School. He led the team to a 122-28 record in six years. He got the head coaching job for the Georgetown Hoyas after his successful high school career.

And they both continued to be great. Eddie Robinson won nine HBCU (Historically Black Colleges & Universities) National Championships and 17 SWAC (Southwestern Athletic Conference) titles. He coached players like Willie Brown and Doug Williams who became really successful in the NFL. John Thompson was the same, producing NBA talents like Patrick Ewing, Allen Iverson, Alonso Mourning, and Dikembe Mutumbo. The Georgetown Hoyas won a National Championship under Thompson, lost two Championship games, and lost in four Elite Eights. Thompson retired in 1999. Eddie Robinson died April 3, 2007, at the age of 88. John Thompson died recently, passing away on August 20th, 2020. Both will be remembered for their dominance of their opponents. After all, winning can teach you just as much as losing can.