*Athletics and sports activities have always been an essential part of American culture. The early colonists were known to wrestle and race each other. Organized competitions were seen growing out of private games, and team sports eventually made their way into towns and cities.

In the industrial age, where sports played between Black and White people were frowned upon, the process of desegregation was a painful one indeed. During this time, Black folks were seen pioneering in different sports. That being said, here are some athletes from the Black community who truly changed the world.

1.     John Taylor

Among all the famous Black athletes in our history, the very first we need to remember is John Taylor. He was among the fastest runners in his high school and was viewed as a rising young track star for the quarter-mile in the US. Taylor was born to a family of former slaves in 1888 and was training to become a veterinarian. This brilliant track runner was also a prominent member of the Sigma Pi Phi fraternity – which was the first all-Black fraternity in the US.

2.     Larry Doby

Have you noticed that the number 42 is always displayed quite prominently in every Major League ballpark? This was the number that had been permanently retired after it was worn by Jackie Robinson, the first Black man to take part in Major League baseball. There were a few Black athletes who managed to make it to the highest levels of baseball before desegregation, and Larry Doby was among the most notable names.

3.     Earl Lloyd

The National Basketball Association had been kickstarted all the way back in 1946; at the time, it was an all-White sport. In the following season, the first-ever non-White player emerged from within the ranks, and he was of Japanese background. It was in 1950 that the first-ever Black player managed to get drafted for the Boston Celtics, and his name was Earl Lloyd. Technically, it was Harold Hunter who was the first-ever in the training camp, but he never managed to play a proper match.

4.     Jesse Owens

This man is very well-remembered by many as a top American track star. Owens even managed to singlehandedly spoil Hitler’s attempt to add Aryan supremacy in the 1936 Olympic games. Owens had done so by winning more Gold medals than any other individual athlete competing at the time. Hitler, however, reacted only by refusing to shake his hand.

Well, if these four Black athletes had changed four games forever, imagine how many more were lost in history. That’s some food for thought.

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