Althea Gibson

The battle lines were drawn on July 5, 1957, on a tennis court. By the end of the day, Althea Gibson became the first African American to win a tennis championship at Wimbledon. Previously, African Americans were not allowed in tennis clubs where national tennis championships took place. But in 1950, Alice Marble, a White tennis champion, wrote an editorial challenging segregation in the clubs. Althea was allowed access that year, and history was made seven years later at Wimbledon. This wasn’t just a win for Althea. It also allowed other Black athletes access to these competitions.