PRESS BOX: Sports would be nothing without the Black influence

Bersabeh Kemaw, Staff Writer

It’s no secret that the influence of Black people is prevalent in sports.

Black people were not always allowed to play sports or participate in them due to systematic racism and segregation.

However, in the late ‘40s, we began to see more African American athletes make strides towards being the first to play in major leagues.

Jackie Robinson made history in 1947 by being the first African American to play in the baseball major leagues, according to Britannica.

This was a monumental moment for Black people across the nation because it ended a six-decade ban placed on Black athletes from participating in the MLB, according to History.

Robinson opened a world of opportunities for Black athletes, making this the first of many steps towards desegregating the world of sports and allowing Black people to showcase their talents.

Segregation in sports existed in other major leagues as well, like the NFL. 

The NFL made it so no African American athlete could participate or compete with any of the teams in the league from 1934-45, which they later denied and said was not a rule, according to History.

Fritz Pollard was the first African American to play in the NFL in 1920, however, Kenny Washington, Woody Strode, Bill Willis and Marion Motley reintegrated the NFL in 1946, according to NFLPA.

A few years later in 1950, Chuck Cooper, Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton and Earl Lloyd all made history as the first African Americans to break racial barriers in the NBA, according to History.

Cooper was the first Black person to be drafted and picked in the NBA, Clifton was the first to sign an NBA contract and Lloyd was the first Black athlete to play in an official NBA game, according to History.

By the ‘50s, the color line had been broken and sports were desegregated, allowing for Black athletes to finally be able to compete at the level that whites were competing at for so long. 

These athletes changed the trajectory of sports — without them, sports would look entirely different today and we wouldn’t witness some of the greatest athletes ever. 

When I think of the greats, at least in basketball, I often think of players like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Lebron James and many more who are all, of course, Black.

The influence they have is much deeper than just being athletes. Their influence surpasses sports.

For example, let’s take a look at the Air Jordan brand. The brand was founded in 1985 under Nike and made more than $100 million by the end of the year, according to Temple.

This brand has single-handedly taken over sneaker culture for many years, and is still doing so today. 

Nike and Michael Jordan both changed the culture of sports and fashion by creating a path for future Black athletes to make their own signature shoes.

Since then, we have seen numerous players like Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Kyrie Irving, Paul George and many more come out with their own signature shoes.

The influence of Black athletes doesn’t stop at just shoes.

When I look at Black women athletes like Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Simone Biles and Gabby Douglas, I see the impact they have on young women athletes across the world, but also the impact they have had on sports as a whole.

Being a woman is already hard, but being a Black woman only increases the level of hardships you face, and these women are examples of not only facing the hardships, but overcoming them as well.

The Williams sisters revolutionized the world of tennis, Biles became the first American female gymnast to win a world medal in every event and Douglas was the first Black gymnast to be the individual all around champion.

These accomplishments speak to the determination, resilience and hard work that Black athletes have put into their respective sports.

Black athletes are the original trail blazers.

Once looked down on and counted out, they are now the main ones who are influencing the youth of our generations while still breaking barriers and setting new accomplishments.