Black is beautiful

Segregation was a set of laws that forced people of different races to live separately.  In the early years, segregation limited the schools and jobs available to African- Americans.  For instance, there were restaurants that do not allow black people to dine there.  In trains, the African-Americans are forced to stay in certain cars and were not allowed in the dining area.  Even the great Muhammad Ali then known as Cassius Clay was not allowed in aa restaurant after winning the gold in the 1960 Rome Olympics.  It was said Clay was so mad he threw his medal in a nearby canal.  Here are some of the black athletes who broke the color barrier

1904 - FLEET WALKER- became the first black major league baseball player.

1904 - CHARLES FOLLIS - (Shelby Athletic Club Ohio), became the first professional football player.

1904 - GEORGE POAGE - one of the first two blacks to compete in the Olympics.  He was also the first black runner to win an Olympic medal, placing third in the 400m hurdles.

1908- JACK JOHNSON - becomes the first black heavyweight boxing champion.

JOHN TAYLOR- the first black runner to win an Olympic medal in the 4x400m relay.

1924 - Long jumper De Hart Hubbard becomes the first black to win an individual Olympic gold medal.

1948- High jumper Alice Coachman is the first black woman to win an Olympic gold medal.

1949- JACKIE ROBINSON- is the first MVP in the Major Leagues.

1950- CHUCK COOPER- of Duguesne is the first black player drafted in the NBA, after being picked by the Boston Celtics in the second round.

EARL LLOYD- of the Washington Capitals become the first black player in the NBA (Oct 31, 1950) in Rochester.

ALTHEA GIBSON- is the first black tennis player accepted to compete in the US championship at Forest Hills.  She is also the first black tennis player to win a major title (French Open). She is also the first black player to win Wimbledon and the U.S Championship.

1963- ARTHUR ASHE- is the first black tennis player to compete on the US Dave Cup team. In 1968, Ashe then an amateur, beat Tom Okker in the men’s final in the U.S Open.  Ashe could not receive the champion’s purse of $14,000.

1966- BILL RUSSEL- is the first black NBA head coach for the Boston Celtics. 

1966- JIM HINES- wins the all-black final in Olympic history, ruling the 100m.

1984- JOHN THOMPSON- of Georgetown University becomes the first black to coach an NCAA Basketball champion

1986- DEBI THOMAS- becomes the first black U.S singles figure skating champion and the first black world women’s figure skating champion.

1997-2000 - TIGER WOODS- becomes the first black golfer to win each of the four Majors and the first to win a career Grand Slam.

2002 - VONETTA FLOWERS- a bobsledder, becomes the first black athlete man or woman, to win a Winter Olympics gold medal.

Another climber dies in everest

A 69-year old American climber has died on Mt. Everest recently, the first foreign death on the highest mountain this season.  The climber was on an acclimatization rotation at 21,000 feet.  The Spring Everest climbing season had a tragic start last month with the death of three Nepali climbers.  Over 300 people have died todate, attempting to reach the summit at 29,031 feet.  There are 45 deaths so far this year. In 2014 ,16 climbers died in an avalance.