The Williams Sisters: Double Trouble on the Tennis Court

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Recommended: Gender inequality in sport

The Williams Sisters: double trouble on the tennis court, Gabby Douglas: 2 times Olympic Gold Medalist, and Lolo Jones: a fierce Olympic competitor in hurdles and now bobsledding are all present day athletes that have captivated headlines with their accomplishments through sports. The Civil Rights Movement altered everyday life for all African Americans and soon other minorities in America. The movement also changed the world of sports for African American legends to come as well. Previous accomplishments of African Americans in sports propelled Althea Gibson to make her mark in history. Althea would change the world of sports, impact future athletes to come, and leave her mark in history. Her athletic greatness would not only be bestowed on the tennis court, but golfy would receive its fair share of Althea’s greatness as well. None of her accomplishments would have been made possible without the Civil Rights Movement that allowed African Americans to enter the world of sports.
African Americans entered the world of sports in the early 1900s when the first African American Olympian became a gold medal, Constantin Henriquez de Zubiera. He won a gold medal in rugby (Bosanac). Not only did the early 1900s open the door for African Americans, but women would also begin to infiltrate into sports as well. Women would be allowed to play in the Olympics; however, they were only allowed to play golf, tennis, and croquet. Only 19 women qualifiers made it through to the first Olympics with women participants (Bosanac). Before Althea Gibson, Margaret Ives Abbott was the first to win the singles tournament for tennis, foreshadowing Althea Gibson’s legacy to come (Schwartz). “She also won gold the 1900 Olympic games in golf just like Althea soo...

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...as someone before you that pushed for women to be able earn an education, for brothers and sisters of all colors to be friends, dreams of becoming a millionaire and following your dreams were all made possible by someone who was not afraid to challenge society and the task at hand that so many others feared to test. Who made your dream possible?

Work Cited

Bosanac, Alexandra. "Breaking Barriers." National Post. 04 May. 2013: A.24. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 16 Apr. 2014.

Matthews, Glenna. "Gibson, Althea." American Women's History: A Student Companion. Dec. 1 2000: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 16 Apr. 2014.

Hightower, Kyle. "Female Athletes Pushing the Boundaries of Sports." Orlando Sentinel (Orlando, FL). 02 Jul. 2005: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 23 Apr. 2014.

"Althea Gibson Broke Barriers." ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures, n.d. Web. 15 May 2014.

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