People, Locations, Episodes

The University of San Francisco Honors Its 1951 Football Team

On this date in 2006, the University of San Francisco gave an honorary degree to its undefeated 1951 football team.

This tribute came because of a game it never played. The team sacrificed glory for honor when, during an era of segregation, it refused to leave its two African American players behind to help secure a bid for a post-season bowl game. USF honored the team for its courage, its selflessness, and its unity during school commencement ceremonies. The team is often called the greatest collection of college football heroes ever to play together.

The First Black Head Coach Goes To The SuperBowl

*On this date in 2007 the first African American professional head football coach qualified for the NFL’s Super Bowl.

Lovie Smith of the Chicago Bears led his team to victory in the NFC championship game against the New Orleans Saints; the score was 39 to 14. “Being the first black coach to lead this team, of course our players knew about it and they wanted to help us make history,” Smith said. “So I feel blessed to be in that position. “I’ll feel even better to be the first black coach to hold up the world championship trophy.”

Baseball’s ‘Black Aces’ Pitchers is formed.

*On this date in 2007, we affirm the founding of the Black Aces. They are a group of Black professional baseball pitchers who have won at least 20 Major League Baseball games in a single season. The term comes from the title of a book written by Mudcat Grant, a former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher and one of the group […]

The First Black Woman Arrives at the North Pole

*On this date in 2007, the first Black woman trekked to the North Pole. 75 year old Barbara Hillary, of Averne, N.Y., made the journey.

Marion Jones is Sentenced For Steroid Use

On this date in 2008, Sprinter Marion Jones was sentenced to six months in prison for lying about using steroids and for check fraud. The disgraced former African American Olympic champion was ordered to surrender March 11, 2008, to begin her term.

Major League Baseball Signs Remaining Negro League Players to Contracts

*On this date in 2008, every major league baseball baseball team symbolically drafted a surviving member of the Negro Leagues.

This triumph towards America’s long march to racial justice took place at Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex in Florida. Before baseball’s 2008 annual draft began, 30 black players were chosen to represent the hundreds of black and Latino players who were excluded from the major leagues in the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s because of white racism.

First Black Person wins the Olympic Artistic Gymnastics Women’s Individual All-Around Event

*On this date in 2012, 16-year-old Gabrielle Douglas of the United States became the first African American to win the gold medal in the Artistic Gymnastics Women’s Individual All-Around final.

From Virginia Beach, VA, Douglas accomplished her feet on Day 6 of the London 2012 Olympic games at North Greenwich Arena in London, England.

Baseball’s Upton Brothers Home Runs Tie and Win the Game in the Same Inning

*On this date in 2013, two African American professional baseball players (brothers) hit consecutive home runs to tie and win their game a first for Major League Baseball.

The First Active Major Sports Athlete Comes Out As Gay

*On this date in 2013, Jason Collins, African American professional basketball player announced that he is Homosexual. Collins said, “I’m a 34-year-old N.B.A. center. I’m black and I’m gay,” Collins, who finished this season with the Washington Wizards, became the first openly gay male athlete who is still active in a major American team sport.

The First Black African Plays In A Major League Baseball Game

*On this date in 2017, Gift Ngoepe of the Pittsburgh Pirates, promoted to the major leagues from Indianapolis became the first Black African born player to play in a Major League game.

Amnesty International Honors Colin Kapernick

*On this date in 2018, Black Athlete and activist Colin Kaepernick received Amnesty International’s Ambassador of Conscience Award for 2018. The award was officially presented at a ceremony in Amsterdam, Netherlands, to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the opening of Amnesty International’s national section in the country. “The Ambassador of Conscience award celebrates the […]

Major League Baseball, and Negro League Baseball Combine Histories

*On this date in 2020, Major League Baseball reclassified Negro Baseball League baseball as Major League Baseball.  This statistically combines Negro League player statistics with Major League Baseball players. The league will work with the Elias Sports Bureau to review Negro League statistics and records and figure out how to incorporate them into Major League […]

The First Black Woman Wins An Olympic 500 Meter Speed Skating Gold Medal

*On this date in 2022, Erin Jackson won the Olympic 500 Speed Skating Gold Medal. She is the first Black woman to win this event in the Olympics. The 29-year-old former inline skater won the women’s 500 meters at the National Speed Skating Oval with a time of 37.04, earning her first Olympic medal in […]

The First Black Woman is Selected to be Team President in the National Football League

*On this date in 2022, the first Black woman became president of an American football team. Sandra Douglass Morgan was introduced as the new team president of the Las Vegas Raiders, making her the first black woman in N.F.L. history to serve in that capacity for a franchise.

Two Black Quarterbacks Start American Football’s Superbowl

*On this date in 2023, Super Bowl LVII marked the first time both teams started Black quarterbacks. Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles played against Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs. In 1988, Washington’s Doug Williams became the first Black quarterback to start — and win — a Super Bowl. Williams was the MVP of the game after […]