Top 75 Black Athletes and Pioneers of Sports Inclusion by Leland Stein III

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Top 75 Black Athletes and Pioneers of Sports Inclusion

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by Leland Stein III from the Los Angeles Sentinel Newspaper - December 30, 1999

"When a man does something or possesses something that is complementary to his character, it is virtually impossible for him too-hide this thing [or] keep it to himself" George Jackson Soledad Brother The Prison Letters

LOS ANGELES The African American experience over the past century in the United States has been one of pioneering first; and an awakening of the ability and power that-is present in each of us when given an opportunity. All of the men and women in this attempt to list the "Top 75 Black Athletes and Pioneers of' Sports Inclusion," had that special something that George Jackson reflected on as he experienced a rebirth in his understanding of life.

One genre--but surely not the only one-on which the African American has been allowed (or demanded inclusion) to command center stage is the world's sporting community.

Marked by distinctive styles and note worthy command of their sport, African Americans have blazed a' trail of accomplishment that has smashed many a negative stereotype and, in the process, has inadvertently crushed some racist renderings.

While many Black Americans were fighting for civil liberties, the sporting community, in some ways, was ahead of that charge. It's safe to say that African Americans' inclusion in white-dominated sports helped in the acceptance of the black person as having the necessities to do or compete or live in environments that white Americans deemed unacceptable to blacks.

Joe Louis' and Jesse Owens' defeat of German supremacists led to white America rooting for a black man. All's stance against the war led to him being the most popular speaker at white college campuses in America.

Sport is not just about athletic endeavors, but is human interaction played out in a way that only sport allows it to happen. Nationalism, state supremacy, college glory, and a city's pride in its pro teams, all create an environment whereby the people cajole the team as much as the individual; thus, the need to win over rides one's skin color.

Blacks have taken advantage of this fact and the inclusion process has happened more quickly in sports than in business and everyday life in America.

It's a complex undertaking--trying to mix African American pioneers and great athletes; however, this compilation is an endeavor to create a list that integrates the two.

Many of the sporting pioneers in this list have ventured into unknown or unclaimed territory ... finding an opposition which fought mightily to maintain exclusive policies.

Some in this listing did not necessarily tackle civil rights or the social issues that laid on the table during their tenure on center stage of their sport. But their ability to excel when given an opportunity is worth noting.

Before we start, respect must be given to the following, who were excluded, but are no less important to African American sports history.

Apologies to:

Elgin Baylor, Valerie Briscoi Charley "Chuck" Cooper, Wayne Embry, Clarence "Big House" Gaines, Bob Gibson, Ken Griffey Jr., James "Shack:' Harris, Ricky Henderson, Peter Jackson, Cobi Jones, Deacon Jones, Oliver Lewis, Earl Lloyd, Ollie Matson, Warren Moon, Isaac Murphy, Jerry Rice, Barry Sanders, O.J. Simpson, Sammy Sosa, Woody Strode, Lawrence Taylor, Reggie White, Bill Willis, and Jimmy Winkfield.

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And now, the 75 best:

75-tie: Emanuel Steward, the greatest black boxing trainer of champions. Willie Davis, football great and entrepreneur;

74-Debi Thomas, the only black USA National Figure Skating champion;

73- Willie Lanier, first superstar middle linebacker in NFL;

72-Mannie Jackson, former player/now owner of Harlem Globetrotters;

71-Don Newcombe, baseball great/pioneer;

70- James "Cool Papa " Bell, baseball pioneer

69-Pele, soccer; generally acknowledged as the best player ever. His flair brought tremendous exposure to the sport in the U. S. He also led Brazil to a couple of World Cup titles;

68-Edwin Moses, Olympic Gold medallist;

67-Lynette Woodard, women's basketball pioneer;

66-Michael Johnson, Olympic Gold medalist;

65-Eugene Upshaw, football great and only black NFLPA Executive Director;

64-Fred Snowden, coaching pioneer;

63-Kenny Washington, football pioneer;

62-Herbert Muhammad, All's manager and son of Elijah Muhammad;

61-Wyomia Tyus, Olympic Gold medallist;

60-Nathaniel "Sweetwater" Clifton, basketball pioneer.

59-Zina Garrison-Jackson, tennis great/ Olympic Gold medallist;

58-Claude "Buddy" Young, football pioneer;

57- Cheryl Miller, basketball great who took the women's game to another level;

56-Roy Campanella, baseball great;

55-Bill White, only black National League President;

54-Alice Coachman, in '48 was the first black woman to win an Olympic Gold medal;

53- Roberto Clemente, baseball legend;

52-Emlen Tunnel, football pioneer, who was the first to be elected to the Hall of Fame;

51-Emie Davis, first black Heisman winner.

50-tie: Spencer Haywood, basketball great/Olympian; as a 20-year-old, Haywood led the U.S. to Olympic Gold in '68 and fought the NEA--and won--the right to play as an underclassman, forever changing the pro and college relationship. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, basketball great/author; is the NBA's all-time leading scorer, who won six NEA titles.

49--Bo Jackson, baseball/football; the only athlete to earn All-Pro in baseball and football in the same year. He pioneered Nike's "Bo Knows" commercial bonanza.

48-George Foreman ,boxer/Olympian; Foreman won Olympic Gold in '68 and later became the oldest man to win a heavyweight title.

47--Julius "Dr. J" Erving, basketball great; he ushered in the high-flying era and was one of the most exciting players ever.

46--Lenny Wilkens, basketball and coaching great; NBA's all-time winningest coach; was voted into the Hall of Fame as a player. Wilkens also coached the '96 Olympic team to a Gold medal.

45--Bob Beamon, Olympian; won Olympic Gold in '6·8 with the perfect jump of 29-feet-2 1/2-inches, heard around the world. His jump beat the previous record by two feet and stood for over 25-years.

44-Sugar Ray Robinson, boxer; voted by Associated Press Boxer of the Century. Was one of the first black athlete entrepreneurs who owned the most famous club in Harlem in the '50s.

43-Rub Foster, pitcher/Negro League Baseball owner;one of the founders of Negro Leagues. His vision and baseball knowledge thrust the NLB into the main frame of African American entertainment.

42--RaferJohnson, Olympian; became the first black to win the decathlon Olympic Gold in '60, setting a world record in the process.

41--Cite Gaston, baseball manager; he is the first and only black to manage a team to a World Series title.

40--Josh Gibson, baseball pioneer; Gibson hit more home runs than anyone did during his time in the Negro Leagues. It's folklore concerning the distance of some of his ,blasts.

39--Marion Motley, football pioneer; this Hall of Famer was the first African-American superstar runner and one of the first to play in the NFL.

38 John Thompson. basketball coach; he was the first Black head coach of an Olympic team in 1988, and the first to lead a team to the NCAA title, too.

37--Jack Johnson, boxer; first African-American heavyweight boxing champion. Served as an inspiration to African Americans of his generation.

36--Florence "Flo-Jo " Griffith-Joyner, Olympian/author; she brought style and grace to the sport while earning three Olympic Gold medals in '8 (100, 200 and 400 relay).

35--Ervin "Magic" Johnson, basketball great/Olympian; one of the greatest passers in the history of the game. At his retirement, he was the all-time NBA assist leader. His team oriented play pushed him and his teammates to five NBA titles and one Gold medal (in '92 Games).

34--Jackie Joyner-Kersey, Olympian; she is arguably the greatest all-around female athlete. Joyner-Kersey is the only black woman to win two Olympic Gold medals in the heptathlon in '88 and '92, as well as Gold in the long jump ('88).

33--Tiger Woods, golfer; Woods is the first and only black to win golf's treasured Masters. He established a single season earnings record winning 8 PGA events in '99.

32--Serena and Venus Williams, tennis players; Venus was the first black to play in a U.S. Open final since Althea Gibson did in '58. Two years later, Serena broke through and won the U. S. Open ('99). The sister tandem, guided by father, Richard, is the most dynamic in sports.

31--0scar "Big O" Robertson, basket-ball great/Olympian; an Olympic Gold medallist in '60 and the first and only player to average a triple-double for an entire season.

30--Curt Flood, baseball player; this all-star challenged baseball's restrictive reserve clause. The lawsuit made it to the Supreme Court, where he lost; however, the next year the ruling was struck down and it lead to free agency.

29--Frederick "Fritz" Pollard, football pioneer/coach; he was the first black All-American running back, one of the first to play professional football and was the first black pro coach (in the APFA in '23 and '24).

28--Willie "Say Hey" Mays, baseball great; was the first player to steal 30 bases and hit 30 home runs in the same season. He finished third on the all-time home run list and is generally regarded as the best all-around player in history.

27--Lee Elder, golf pioneer; he was the first black player to play in the previously all white Master's Tournament.

26--Bill Russell, basketball great/Olympian; he won an incredible 10 NBA titles, as well as Olympic Gold in '56. Russell is acknowledged as the best defensive player ever.

25-Doug Williams, football great, is the first and only black to start at quarterback in America's biggest single event--the Super Bowl ('88). He was named MVP of the game after leading his team to the NFL title.

24--Frank Robinson, baseball great/pioneer, broke the managerial color barrier. He was also a Hall of Fame player who once won baseball's valued Triple Crown.

23--Leroy "Satchel" Paige, baseball pioneer; his awareness and command of the strike zone is legendary. Helped carry the Negro Leagues to its highest heights. Finally found inclusion in Major League Baseball at age 42; he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in '71.

22--Larry Doby, baseball pioneer; he followed Jackie Robinson and became the first black player in the American League. He went on to lead the A.L. in home runs twice and was the first black to homer in a Word Series.

21--Anita DeFrantz, Olympian/IOC member; she is the first and only woman to represent the U.S. on the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Recently she became the only women in the world to be appointed to the IOC Executive Board.

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20--Walter "Sweetness " Payton, football player; he was one of the most durable players ever. At the conclusion of his career Payton was the all-time career leader in rushing and held numerous other NFL, records.

19--Eddie Robinson, college football coach; led the Grambling Tigers to international fame. He finished his career as the NCAA's all-time leader in career wins. Placed more men in the NFL Hall of Fame than any coach in history.

18--Wilt "Big Dipper" Chamberlain, basketball great; was so dominant the rules of the game were changed to harness his power. Along with two NBA titles, he finished his career as the NBA's all-time career scorer and-rebounder. He is also the only person ever to score 100 points in a game and average 50 points per game for a complete season.

17-Don King, boxing promoter; fought through a white-dominated genre to become the promoter of the highest grossing gate and largest boxing TV audience (Holyfield /Tyson). He's the first to guarantee $10 million purse for fighters (Foreman/Ali) and the first promoter of~fights viewed by one billion fans (Frazier/ Ali & 'Ali/Foreman).

16--Charlie Sifford, golf pioneer; fought Jim-Crow laws until he was allowed to play on the PGA tour. As the first approved black golfer on the Tour, Sifford won his first major title in '57 and became the first to win a PGA event in '67.

15-Paul Robeson, activist/actor/football pioneer; was a football All-American while at Rutgers and one of the first to play pro football. He is also one of the most brilliant and multi-talented Americans ever.

14--Wilma Rudolph, Olympic athlete; first to win three gold medals in track in one Olympics in the '60 Games in Rome.

13--Michael "Air" Jordan, basketball great; considered one of the greatest pure athletes ever. Led his team to six NBA crowns and along the way became the greatest black commercial entrepreneurs ever.

12--Althea Gibson, tennis player/golfer; was the first black (male or female) to win a Grand Slam tennis title. She won the French ('56), Wimbledon ('57 & '58) and the U.S. Open ('57 & '58) amid a racist clubhouse environment that did not welcome her. When she retired from tennis she became the first black women to play professional golf.

11--Dr. LeRoy Walker, coach/chancellor/United States Olympic Committee president; he started as a coach and produced 8 Olympians and 40 national champions. After a stellar coaching career, Walker turned his attention toward the USOC, holding positions as treasurer and Chef de Mission, before making history as the first and only black to be appointed USOC President.

l0--·Jesse Owens, Olympian, won four Gold medals at the '36 Games. His athletic exploits disproved Hitler and Nazi Germany's master race theory.

9--Arthur Ashe, activist/author/tennis player, only black male to win a Wimbledon Tennis Championship (in '75.) He also won the US Open in '68, the Australian Open in '70 and was a member of the Davis Cup Team for eleven years.

8--Carl Lewis, Olympian/pioneer, one of the greatest all around athletes ever, he won nine Gold medals over four Olympic Games. He matched Jesse Owens' feat of four Gold's (100, 200, long jump and 400 relay) in one Olympics in '84. Changed the face of amateur sports by forcing the powers that be to share in the tremendous profits of international track & field.

7-Henry "Hammerin' Hank" Aaron, baseball great, is the all-time home run king, breaking Babe Ruth's unreachable and treasured record of 714 in '74. Amid death threats and insults, Aaron continued forward and ended his career with 755.

6--Jim Brown, activist/football great/actor, denied the Heisman because of his color, went on to become the greatest runner ever. Retired from the NFL as the career-rushing leader and held almost every rushing related record on the books. Understood economic empowerment and organized athletes and business people to unite and create their own economic base in the age of segregation.

5--Tommie Smith and John Carlos, Olympians; Smith and Carlos stood together on the podium in the '68 Games with black gloved fist raised high as the national anthem played. Americans vilified them and expelled them from the Games. Smith who won the Gold over 200-meters, noted the protest was made to "aware the people of this country and the world, the problems of human right we (Blacks) were facing in America." Their stance was one of the most visible in the turbulent '60's and as Black Americans fought for equal rights; Carlos won the bronze medal at 200-meters.

4-John McLendon, author/coaching pioneer, the first coach to lead a historically black college to a NAIA title in '54. In fact, he was the first to win three consecutive NAIA titles ('54-'56). McLendon was also the first black to coach the following. an Olympic team ('68 & '77), a predominantly white college and a professional team. McLendon had as a tutor the inventor of basketball, Dr. James Naismith. Finally, he was the first black coach to be enshrined into the basketball Hall of Fame. He inspired generations of black players and coaches.

3--Joe "Brown Bomber" Louis, boxer, heavyweight boxing champion and African-American cultural icon. Inspired his generation, not just Black, but many whites that were fighting Hitler's Master Race theory, when he defeated German Max Schmeling. Louis held the heavyweight crown an unprecedented 11 years. Every Louis win resulted in untold celebrations through out Black America in a time of Jim-Crow activism.

2--Jackie Robinson, baseball pioneer, swallowed his tremendous pride and absorbed untold mental and verbal abuse in successfully breaking the color barrier in professional baseball in '45. One of the greatest all-around athletes ever, he led the nation in rushing one year and was the leading conference basketball scorer, all while attending UCLA. Robinson changed the face of American sports forever and proved that Blacks did have the necessities to compete at any level of sport and life.

1-- MUHAMMAD " The Greatest" ALI

Author/boxer/activist/Olympian, transcended sorts to become the most recognizable athlete ever. Stood up to the U.S. government when he refused induction to the military. Ali explained his reasoning saying: " Those Vietnamese never called me nigger, I ain't got nothing against them." Although his social stands became legendary, his athletic exploits were just as noteworthy. Ali won the heavyweight title an unprecedented three times and was the most colorful and graceful big man ever to engage in fisticuffs. Changed the face of the payment scale for athletes forever. Lit the Olympic Flame in the world's biggest sporting venue at the '96 Games in Atlanta.

Top 75 Black Athletes and Pioneers of Sports Inclusion

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by Leland Stein III from the Los Angeles Sentinel Newspaper - December 30, 1999

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