On this date in 1916, we celebrate the founding of The American Tennis Association (ATA), the first Black sports organization in the United States.
Formed by a group of Black businessmen, college professors, and physicians, including Robert W. Johnson, the ATA has become the premier organization for Black individuals from all walks of life who want to enjoy the camaraderie and competition that tennis offers. Since its inception, the ATA has honored the founding fathers' primary objectives:
To bring Black tennis enthusiasts and players into close and friendly relations.
To improve the standards of existing clubs.
To hold an annual national championship tournament.
To regulate the dates of local and regional tournaments to avoid conflicts.
To appoint referees and officials for each event and to promote the standard of the game among Black players.
The organization held its first ATA National Championships, comprising three events (men's and women's singles and doubles), at Baltimore's Druid Hill Park in August 1917. Allum from the ATA includes Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe.
Several thousand players are expected to compete in over 50 different events at the annual ATA National Championships, held in various locations across the country in August each year. The ATA is the core of a growing African American affluent demographic that has helped turn the tennis industry into a multi-billion-dollar business.
