November 6, 1947 George Lawrence “Larry” James, hall of fame track and field athlete, was born in Mount Pleasant, New York. James started running track in the seventh grade and was a double medalist at the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games. He won the Silver medal in the 400 meter race and the Gold medal […]
Tag Archives | athlete
September 13th in African American History – Michael Duane Johnson
September 13, 1967 Michael Duane Johnson, world record holding track and field athlete, was born in Dallas, Texas. Johnson attended Baylor University where he won several NCAA championships in both indoor and outdoor sprints and relays. He graduated from Baylor in 1990 with a bachelor’s degree in business. Johnson won Gold Medals at the 1992 […]
June 6th in African American History – Tommie Smith
June 6, 1944 Tommie Smith, former track and field athlete and professional football player, was born in Clarksville, Texas. Smith won a track scholarship to San Jose State University where in 1966 he set the world record in the 200-meter race. Also at San Jose State, Smith was a co-founder of the Olympic Project for […]
March 31st in African American History – James Cleveland “Jesse” Owens
March 31, 1980 James Cleveland “Jesse” Owens, Olympic track and field athlete, died. Owens was born September 12, 1913 in Oakville, Alabama. Owens attended Ohio State University where he won a record eight individual NCAA championships. Despite that success, he had to live off campus and was never offered a scholarship for his efforts. At […]
March 3rd in African American History – Jacqueline Joyner-Kersee
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 […]
September 21st in African American History – Florence Delorez “Flo-Jo” Griffith-Joyner
September 21, 1998 Florence Delorez “Flo-Jo” Griffith-Joyner died as the result of suffocating during a severe epileptic seizure. Griffith-Joyner was born on December 21, 1959 in Los Angeles, California. At the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, Griffith-Joyner won the Silver Medal in the 200 meter race. At the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, she won the […]
September 12th in African American History – James Cleveland Jesse Owens
September 12, 1913 James Cleveland “Jesse” Owens, Olympic track and field athlete, was born in Oakville, Alabama. Owens first came to national attention while in high school in Cleveland, Ohio when he equaled the world record of 9.4 seconds in the 100 yard dash and long jumped 24 feet 9 ½ inches at the 1933 […]