March 3, 1962 Jacqueline Joyner-Kersee, three-time Olympic Gold Medal winner, was born in East St. Louis, Illinois. Joyner-Kersee attended the University of California at Los Angeles from 1980 to 1984, where she starred in both track and field and basketball. She competed at four Olympic Games, the 1984 Los Angeles Games where she won the […]
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February 20th in African American History – Charles Wade Barkley
February 20, 1963 Charles Wade Barkley, hall of fame basketball player, was born in Leeds, Alabama. Barkley played college basketball at Auburn University where he was a three-time All-SEC selection and Conference Player of the Year in 1984. Barkley was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1984 NBA Draft and over his 16 year […]
February 17th in African American History – Michael Jeffrey “Air” Jordan
February 17, 1963 Michael Jeffrey “Air” Jordan, hall of fame basketball player, was born in Brooklyn, New York. In 1981, Jordan earned a basketball scholarship to the University of North Carolina who he led to a National Championship in 1982 and where he won the Naismith and Wooden College Player of the Year Awards in […]
February 10th in African American History – Lusia “Lucy” Harris
February 10, 1955 Lusia “Lucy” Harris, hall of fame basketball player, was born in Minter City, Mississippi. Harris attended Delta State University and led them to the AIAW National Championship three consecutive years between 1975 and 1977. She was also named All-American each of those years. When she graduated, she held 15 of 18 Delta […]
January 31st in African American History – Thomas Edward Tolan
January 31, 1967 Thomas Edward Tolan, “the Midnight Express” and two-time Gold medal winning Olympian, died. Tolan was born September 29, 1908 in Denver, Colorado and moved with his family to Detroit, Michigan when he was 15 years old. Tolan attended Cass Technical High School where he set state records in the 100 and 220-yard […]
November 20th in African American History – Dominique Margaux Dawes
November 20, 1976 Dominique Margaux Dawes, gymnast, was born in Silver Springs, Maryland. Dawes was introduced to gymnastics at the age of six and competed in her first international meet at the age of twelve. As members of the Bronze medal winning United States Olympic gymnastics team at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, she and […]
November 16th in African American History – Zina Lynna Garrison
November 16, 1963 Zina Lynna Garrison, professional tennis player, was born in Houston, Texas. Garrison started playing tennis at the age of 10 and entered her first tournament at the age of 12. In 1981, she won the Wimbledon and US Open Junior titles and was ranked the World Number 1 junior player. Garrison turned […]