May 30, 1943 Gale Eugene Sayers, hall of fame football player and entrepreneur, was born in Wichita, Kansas. Sayers was a two-time All-American at the University of Kansas where he also earned his bachelor’s degree. Sayers is considered by many to have been the greatest open field runner in college football history. He was selected […]
Archive | Sports RSS feed for this section
May 27th in African American History – Jackie Ray Slater
May 27, 1954 Jackie Ray Slater, hall of fame football player, was born in Jackson, Mississippi. Slater played college football at Jackson State University. He was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the 1976 NFL Draft and played his entire 20 season professional career with them, making him the first player to play 20 […]
May 24th in African American History – Joe Dumars III
May 24, 1963 Joe Dumars III, hall of fame basketball player and basketball executive, was born in Shreveport, Louisiana. Dumars played college basketball at McNeese State University and was selected by the Detroit Pistons in the 1985 NBA Draft. Dumars played his entire 14-season professional career with the Pistons and was a six-time All-Star and […]
May 23rd in African American History – Jerome Heartwell “Brud” Holland
May 23, 1985 Jerome Heartwell “Brud” Holland, education administrator and diplomat, posthumously received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Ronald Reagan. Holland was born January 9, 1916 in Auburn, New York. He graduated from Cornell University, where he was the first African American to play on the football team and an All-American in 1937 […]
May 21st in African American History – Clarence Edward “Big House” Gaines, Sr.
May 21, 1923 Clarence Edward “Big House” Gaines, Sr., hall of fame college basketball coach, was born in Paducah, Kentucky. Gaines attended Lincoln High School where he excelled academically and athletically, graduating as class salutatorian in 1941. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from Morgan State College in 1945 and in 1950 […]
May 18th in African American History – Reginald Martinez “Reggie” Jackson
May 18, 1946 Reginald Martinez “Reggie” Jackson, hall of fame baseball player known as “Mr. October,” was born in Wyncote, Pennsylvania. Jackson excelled in high school baseball and football and went to Arizona State University on a football scholarship. In the 1966 Major League Baseball Draft, Jackson was selected by the Kansas City Athletics and […]
May 17th in African American History – Joseph Black
May 17, 2002 Joseph Black, the first black pitcher to win a World Series game, died. Black was born February 8, 1924 in Plainfield, New Jersey. He won a baseball scholarship to Morgan State University and graduated in 1950. Black was called up to the major leagues in 1952 and was chosen National League Rookie […]