This Black History Month, I attended the African American Sport and Civil Rights event on Wednesday, February 28 at Park Center, which was presented by Susan Rayl. The purpose of the event was to tell the stories of many famous African American athletes, most of whom are not well known. The athletes mentioned were Octavius Catto, Isaac Murphy, Marshall Taylor, Edwin B. Henderson, Robert Douglas with the New York Renaissance Five, Jesse Owens, Joe Louis, Tydie Picket, Louise Stokes, and Jackie Robinson. Throughout the presentation, Rayl showed us videos that summarized the history of the athletes and the impact they had on sports. These were some of the following athletes that I did not know about before attending the event.
One of the people mentioned was Robert Douglas, the manager of the New York Rens, who became the first African American manager of an all-Black professional basketball team. The team formed during the Harlem Renaissance, a period from the 1920s-1930’s when African American culture flourished nationwide. This is around the same time when Langston Hughes wrote many of his poems that we have read in class. The Rens dominated every league they played at the time, both White and Black leagues. The Rens won the World Championship of Professional Basketball in 1939, beating countless all-white teams throughout their career. The New York Rens left their impact by forever changing the sport of basketball by proving that the sport of basketball is for everyone.
Another group of athletes that were talked about were Tydie Picket and Louise Stokes, they were grouped together because they had very similar athletic achievements. Both women were Olympic runners, but Louise Stokes was the first African American woman to compete in Olympic history. Throughout their careers, both women faced discrimination on and off the track; yet they persevered and became very respected athletes. Unfortunately, most of their legacies have been covered by the tides of history. Recent efforts have been made to remember these women and thanks to the efforts of many interest groups, the legacies of these women are still preserved today.
I specifically mentioned these athletes because, before attending this event, I had no idea who these people and these teams were. Most, if not all the audience shared similar understandings. These athletes are not well known even though they heavily impacted the way people viewed these sports. Knowing who these athletes were and their impacts on sports allows us to have a better understanding of our history. My favorite quote that Rayl said was in her closing statement, she said that “Black history is American history.” As a history major myself, not many people seem to have that viewpoint when looking at the achievements of the United States.
Overall, the event was very insightful on the unsung heroes of American sports history. While the majority of people do not know who these heroes were, they certainly know their impacts on the sports they played. Without these athletes, the face of American sports may be completely different today.
