*George Foreman was born on this date in 1949. He was a Black professional boxer, businessman, minister and author. George Foreman was born in Marshall, Texas. He grew up with six siblings in the Fifth Ward community of Houston, Texas. Although he was raised by J. D. Foreman, whom his mother had married when George was […]
learn more*Richard Lapchick was born on this date in 1945. He is a white-American educator, human rights activist, sportswriter, and author. Richard E. Lapchick is from Yonkers, New York, and he is the son of Joe Lapchick, a college and professional basketball coach who helped integrate the NBA when he signed Nat Clifton in 1950. […]
learn more*Gene Baker was born on this date in 1925. He was a Black MLB baseball player, manager, and coach. A native of Davenport, Iowa, Eugene Walter Baker played basketball and ran track at Davenport High School and sandlot baseball. He joined the United States Navy, stationed at the Iowa Pre-Flight School. After his discharge, he […]
learn more*Rickey Henderson was born on this date in 1958. He was a Black major league baseball player and coach. Rickey Nelson Henley Henderson was born in Chicago, Illinois, in the back seat of an Oldsmobile on the way to the hospital. He was named after singer-actor Ricky Nelson, the son of John L. Henley and […]
learn moreDave Winfield is a retired Hall of Fame baseball player, author, and philanthropist. In this segment, he shares how this and his approach to the game was nurtured.
learn more*Walter Tull was born on April 28, 1888. He was a Black British professional soccer player, dentist, and British Army officer. Walter Daniel John Tull was born in Folkestone, Kent, the son of Afro Caribbean carpenter Daniel Tull and Kent-born Alice Elizabeth Palmer. His paternal grandfather was a slave in Barbados, and his maternal English […]
learn more*Arthur Wharton was born on this date in 1865. He was a Black British football player. Wharton was born in Jamestown, Gold Coast (now part of Accra, Ghana). His father, Henry Wharton, was a Grenadian missionary of Scottish and West African descent, while his mother, Annie Florence Egyriba, was a member of the Fante Ghanaian […]
learn more*P.K. Subban was born on this date in 1989. He is a Black Canadian former professional ice hockey defenseman. Pernell-Karl Sylvester Subban was born in Toronto, Canada. In the 1970’s, his father immigrated to Ontario from Jamaica to Sudbury, and his mother, Maria, came from Montserrat to Hamilton. His father (Karl) is a retired school […]
learn more*Junior Gilliam was born on this date in 1928. He was a Black baseball player and coach. Born in Nashville, Tennessee, James William “Junior” Gilliam began playing on a local semi-pro team at age 14 and dropped out of high school in his senior year to pursue his baseball career. He joined the Negro National […]
learn more*Al Attles was born on this date in 1936. He was a Black professional basketball player, coach, and executive. Alvin Austin Attles Jr. was born in Newark, New Jersey. He graduated from Weequahic High School and North Carolina A&T State University. Attles earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education and history along with a […]
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