Feb 7, 20233 min read

Black Athletes and Resistance

Updated: Feb 26, 2024

Black athletes in America have found countless ways to confront political, cultural, and social issues. Due to its widespread popularity, the world of sports has been a crucial platform for not only amplifying Black excellence, but also the fight against racial inequality.

You may be familiar with contemporary Black athletes who advocate for social and political justice, such as Colin Kaepernick, Simone Biles, and Serena Williams. For this post, we highlight just a few Black athletes from the 20th century who both groundbreakers in their sports and passionate and committed activists.

All of these individuals were not only powerful beacons of hope for Black representation and the fight for equal rights, but also powerful change-makers who made lasting impacts with their voices and actions within and beyond their athletic careers. Their legacies of advocacy and resolve have laid a lasting and vital foundation for the athlete-activists who have followed in their footsteps.

1. Jackie Robinson

You may know Jackie Robinson as the first Black baseball player to break the “color barrier” playing in the MLB for the Brooklyn Dodgers beginning in 1947 - a highly visible challenge to segregation in the public eye. Robinson was awarded many accolades - both as a phenomenal baseball player and also for multiple “firsts” in Black representation during his long and multifaceted career.

However, no matter how much Robinson knew it meant to break racial barriers on the field in sports, he understood that visibility and athletic excellence was not enough. He committed to a life of social action off the field, using his status to promote civil rights and fight racial inequities, paving the way for future Black athletes to take a stand.

During his long and multifaceted career, Robinson: participated in civil rights marches, co-chaired the March for Integrated Schools with MLK Jr, wrote New York Post columns to support the movement, served in and raised money for the NAACP, and hosted backyard parties to raise money for SCLC efforts to bail out jailed activists. He fostered socioeconomic growth for Black communities across the country by helping to found the Black-owned Freedom National Bank and taking on projects to build low and middle-income housing as well as repair churches and other community facilities.

2. Wilma Rudolph

Wilma Rudolph was from Clarksville, TN, part of the segregated South. She was a sprinter, a world-records holder, and the first American woman to win three gold medals in a single Olympic game. In the 1960s, she was seen as the fastest woman sprinter in the world.

In her early life, Rudolph was physically disabled from illnesses. After years of treatments for her weak leg, she became an active athlete in school and later the Olympic Games. She became one of the most prominent Black women in the 1960s and was a role model for Black women athletes, making women’s track and field more visible.

In addition to athletics, Rudolph is also regarded as an icon for civil rights. In 1960, Clarksville planned a segregated event to honor her. Because she refused to attend the segregated event, Clarksville then held its first integrated event.

3. Eroseanna Robinson

Eroseanna Robinson was a track and field star on the US Women’s track team, a social worker, and an activist in the 1960’s.

In 1958, she publicly turned down an invitation to compete in the 1960 Olympics in political protest during the Cold War. “I don't want anyone to think my athletics have political connotations. In other words, I don't want to be used as a political pawn," she told Jet Magazine.

In the 1969 Pan-American Games, she remained seated during the national anthem to protest violence and injustice in foreign policy - 57 years before Kaepernick took the knee.

She is remembered for her use of nonviolent resistance, and her victories in her efforts to desegregate public spaces across the country.

These are just a few individuals whose stories are truly inspirational. We highly recommend picking one (or all) of the change-makers we listed here and another of your choosing, and learning more about their contributions to social justice.

SOURCES

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