Black History Month Celebration #14- 2021 Althea Gibson: A peerless pioneer. This series will cover those making history and historical Black Figures, events, activities and of course music related if possible. We should remember and not lose what we accomplished. Enjoy Black History Month

Althea Gibson: A peerless pioneer

She just wanted to be somebody. For Althea Gibson, it was an equally simple and impossible quest. She had the talent, certainly. She was, as she many times described herself, “a born athlete.” But she also was born into a time when the color of your skin could limit your opportunities to showcase your talents. And while the effort to achieve “somebody” status is very much your own; the official recognition invariably comes from others. It’s hard to become somebody when nobody can see you.

https://www.usta.com/en/home/stay-current/national/althea-gibson–a-peerless-pioneer.html

This is the story of Althea Gibson (1927-2003), a truant from the rough streets of Harlem, who emerged as the unlikely queen of the highly segregated tennis world in the 1950s. She was the first African American to play and win at Wimbledon and the U.S. Nationals (precursor of the U.S. Open) — a decade before Arthur Ashe. Interviewees include Wimbledon champion Dick Savitt and Billie Jean King. More

Althea Gibson, Who Broke Racial Barriers in Tennis, Honored in Newark

Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. announced plans on Tuesday, September 27^th to create a memorial in honor of the late Althea Gibson, professional tennis legend, Civil Rights pioneer and Essex County resident, and to provide a complete overhaul of the tennis court facility that bears her name in Essex County Branch Brook Park. Gibson, who overcame racial barriers in her athletic career, played a break-through game at Orange Lawn Tennis Club. More

The Orange Lawn Tennis Club

The Orange Lawn Tennis Club is the second oldest tennis club in New Jersey. Located in South Orange it was established after the Seabright Lawn Tennis and Cricket Club. Orange Lawn hosted the 1946 Davis Cup as well as many other tournaments over the years, most notably the Eastern Lawn Championship.. Wikipedia