http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiEFOiAF0zk

In this documentary narrated by Maya Angelou, tennis player Althea Gibson reflects on her successful career in the late 1950s and beyond. Gibson describes her experience at Wimbledon in 1957, during which she became the first black woman to win the tennis tournament. She reflects on the anxiety she felt while competing and the excitement of receiving the trophy from the Queen of England. In addition to Gibson’s influential tennis career, the documentary reflects on Gibson’s efforts in singing, acting and golf.

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Althea Gibson Reflects on Her Influential Tennis Career appeared first on Witnify.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBYe7l_msS8

In this segment from “Althea Gibson: A Documentary,” Gibson is praised for becoming the first black woman to win the U.S. Open Women’s Singles Championship and Wimbledon in 1957. Fellow tennis players, such as Dr. Harold Freeman, discuss how Gibson’s triumphs were exceptional because tennis was previously offered exclusively to wealthy white people. Billie Jean King, another tennis player, explains how Gibson had to deal with the harsh racial climate of the ’50s and yet it did not affect her athletic prowess on the court. Gibson’s accomplishments broke boundaries for black athletes, and she became a symbol for the civil rights movements.

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How Althea Gibson Broke Boundaries for Black Athletes appeared first on Witnify.