Biggest Impact: Arthur Ashe
Synthesis of Biographical Profile
Arthur Robert Ashe, Jr. was born July 10, 1943 in Richmond, Virginia to Arthur Ashe, Sr. and Mattie Cordell Cunningham Ashe. Arthur, Jr. was the oldest of two boys. He died on February 6, 1993 at the age of forty-nine. Arthur Ashe made the most of his short life in the years in between.
In 1950, his mother passed away from complications with pre-eclampsia during a pregnancy. She was twenty-seven years old. Arthur and his younger brother, Johnnie, were raised by their father, Arthur Sr., who was strict in discipline on all accounts. Arthur Sr. was a tennis player and activist. Arthur Sr. would not allow his son to play football, so Arthur Jr. turned his focus to tennis.
He played throughout high school and, in 1963 was awarded a tennis scholarship to UCLA and became the first black tennis player ever to be selected to the United States Davis Cup Team. In 1965, he won the NCAA singles title (“Arthur Ashe Biography,” n. d.).
As a member of the ROTC during college, he joined the United States Army in 1966 and served until 1969, when he was discharged. During this time, he competed in tennis as a soldier. Competing in these events kept him out of the Vietnam War (Life Story - Arthur Ashe | Conscious Leader, Humanitarian, Educator and Athlete. n. d.).
He turned Professional in 1970 and, in an effort to bring fairness in athlete compensation, helped form the Association of Tennis Professionals in 1972. In 1979, after winning numerous tennis titles, Ashe had a heart attack and subsequent heart surgery and retired from tennis shortly after, in 1980. He would have a second heart surgery in 1983. Arthur was inducted into International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1985.
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...e first." He valued his reputation and gave his all to be the best in his sport and in life. In this right, Arthur Ashe, using his ability combined with his voice, arguably made the biggest impact on sports and society.
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Bodo, P. (1996). Arthur Ashe. In USA's Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History (Vol. 1, pp. 154-155). Boston: Macmillan.
Life Story - Arthur Ashe | Conscious Leader, Humanitarian, Educator and Athlete. (n.d.). Arthur Ashe. Retrieved March 14, 2014, from http://www.arthurashe.org/life-story.html
Earl Lloyd was probably the most courageous player of all time. Some people know him as “The Big Cat” others know him as the first African-American to play in an NBA basketball game with the whites; he changed the way people think and look at basketball and black players and coaches. Earl Lloyd loved basketball from a very young age. Earl had two brothers older than him which was Earnest and Theodore. Earl was very dedicated from a very young age. With his high school team he took them to a state championship and won. After high school Earl went off and took his talents to West Virginia State College. While Earl was there his sophomore year they went 33-0 which is a perfect season. Earl’s team won back to back CIAA conference championships and tournament championships.
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One of the major stands that were made during a black athlete’s tenure during his or her sport were their statements on racism. Racism in America was an ongoing situation in the 1900’s that seemed to have no resolve before black athletes took a stand. One prime example can be Jackie Robinson who became the first African-American athlete to play baseball in the modern era. Jackie grew up in one of the most racist towns in Pasadena, California and came from a poor family as his parents were sharecroppers and...
At the time that Althea was emerging as a recognized tennis player, African American’s opportunities were somewhat limitied. One organization called the American Tennis Association provided tounament opportunities for African American tennis players. In 1942, Althea Gibson had her first landmark
" Time, November 1998. Harley, Sharon. The Timetables of African-American History. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1995.
Arthur Robert Ashe Jr. is a man of trust, courage, grace and honor. Although many of these attriobutes I share with Arthur, his high level of moral values and self reliance I aspire to achieve. Arthur was of African American decent and being born on July 10, 1943 in Richmond, Virginia he had to face many racial struggles and hardships. On the contrary, I was born and raised in somerset, New Jersey, in the 1990’s so my racial struggles were close to non-existent. Being of Italian- American decent, if I had lived in the time of Arthur Ashe I still would not have faced racial struggles as greatly as African Americans did in that time.
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The adage of the adage of the adage of the adage of the adage of the The African American quest for equity in sports. American sports: From the age of folk games to the age of televised sports (5th ed.). (pp. 62-63). The aforesaid aforesaid aforesaid aforesaid afores Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Spalding, Albert G. (n.d.).
"Black History in America: Athletes." Black History in America: Athletes. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2013.
In 1994, President Reagan got Alzheimer’s disease, left public life, and died on June 5, 2004 from pneumonia. Reagan is still looked up to and is considered one of the greatest Presidents of all time.
According to Jessie Jackson, "A champion wins a World Series or an Olympic event and is hoisted on the shoulders of the fans. A hero carries the people on his shoulders" (Robinson 3). This is what made Jackie Robinson a hero to African-Americans. Robinson's achievement goes beyond the statistics and championships he earned on the field. He opened the door for his entire race to play professional sports and gain acceptance as more desegregation took place. After fighting in World War II from 1941 until 1944, Jackie played for the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues from 1944 until 1946. In 1946, he was selected as the best person to break the color barrier in Major League Baseball.
Many books have talked about the history of the African American athletes, but in In Forty Million Dollar Slaves, William C. Rhoden takes a different approach, filled with poetic brio and passionate argument. Rhoden’s book has received endorsements from such well-known academics as Cornel West and Arnold Rampersad, and the book alludes to music, literature, and religion as well as history and politics. Its intent is as much prophetic as analytical. Rhoden argues that African American athletes are among the most famous and highest remunerated salaried individuals working today, but that doesn’t mean they have control over their own destinies. However, Rhoden is aware that his title, which suggests that even an athlete earning forty million dollars
Wiggins, David Kenneth, and Patrick B. Miller. 2003. The unlevel playing field: a documentary history of the African American experience in sport. Urbana: University of Illinois Press
African American Review 32.2 (1998): 293-303. JSTOR.com - "The New York Times" Web. The Web. The Web. 11 April 2012.
Whitaker, Matthew C.. African American icons of sport: triumph, courage, and excellence. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2008.