african americans in sports
Uploaded by poweradest on Nov 27, 2006
African Americans have had a rough time trying to participate in major athletics in the past. Some sports, such as baseball took large aspirations for the athletic community to integrate black athletes into their major league sports. African Americans have made great strides in the world of sports in the United States. Sports in America show extremes in culture and it’s the passion to succeed that unites most of America. African American athletes have been able to participate in America’s several professional sports leagues since the inception of sports in America. But due to their race they have not always been given the chance. As sports grew into an American pastime they also grew on separate fields with race as a dividing line. Up until the 1940's most sports events were separated because of race. Only a few African Americans dared to follow their dreams and cross over the racial line in these times. For those few African Americas they became the prime symbol of their race. They had their whole race riding on their shoulders. If this wasn’t a large enough burden to start with, they also had to endure teasing, harassment, and belittlement just to play the sport they loved. Moses Fleetwood, Paul Robeson, Chuck Cooper, lastly William Tecumseh Sherman Jackson paved the way for future black athletes in their respective sports. All of these men were the first to break the white and black barrier. Moses Fleetwood for baseball, Paul Robeson for football, Chuck Chopper for basketball, and William Tecumseh Sherman Jackson for track and field. What these great athletes coped with is unimaginable but their achievements won’t be forgotten.
Baseball is truly America’s pastime. The sport was played all the way back in colonial America, in the 1700's. As America was the melting pot of cultures, several cultures contributed to this game we call baseball. Baseball became such a popular sport that in 1869 the first
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professional baseball team was organized. By 1876 eight-professional teams were made up and they formed the first baseball league. The two earliest African American baseball players to join all white teams were Bud Fowler and Moses Fleetwoods Walker. Bud Fowler played for the Keokuk in New Castle, Pennsylvania. He was the only African American player on the team. Fowler never gave up on his goal to play in the major leagues and...