Thread by @erosen1

1/4 #BLM OTD 1957 Althea Gibson becomes the 1st African-American to win Wimbledon. Tennis was segregated and she paved the way for Venus & Serena Williams, Arthur Ashe & countless others. #BlackAmericanHistoryIsAmericanHistory

2/4 Born in South Carolina in 1927, the teenaged Gibson began playing tennis in Harlem, NY and after winning two national Black women's tennis championships, she debuted at the U.S. Open in 1950. After becoming the first African-American
#BlackAmericanHistoryIsAmericanHistory

3/4 to win the singles & doubles titles at the French Open in 1957, OTD 1957, Gibson became the 1st African-American to win Wimbledon. In 1957, she won the U.S. Open again & in 57 & 58 Associated Press named her Female Athlete of the Year.
#BlackAmericanHistoryIsAmericanHistory

4/4 In 1964, Gibson became the first Black woman to join the Ladies Professional Golf Association & played pro golf until 1971. She served as New Jersey's commissioner of athletics from 1975-1985. She died from respiratory failure in 2003.
#BlackAmericanHistoryIsAmericanHistory