I have really enjoyed discovering the stories of great Black Women in America. Too many of these remarkable women have been forgotten. Black women, especially those who lived many decades ago, were very courageous and their testimonies of persevering in the face of so much prejudice should be an encouragement to all. Great strides have been made in granting equal opportunities to Black women, but we still have a long way to go.
There are so many great Black women; we can only cover the stories of a few. For that reason, we are focusing on “Firsts” in history. We began this series by covering the stories of women who were “Firsts” in Education, including women who earned PhD’s and famous educators. We talked about famous First writers and authors and famous artists. Then we discovered the stories of Black Women Firsts in Science, Inventions, and Medicine.
Last time we began to look at the stories of outstanding Black female athletes. We started by honoring two tennis players – Althea Gibson and Serena Williams. Many more black women are playing tennis today due in part to the pioneering efforts of these two great women. This time we turn to other great athletes in Track and Field – all gold medal winners – Wilma Rudolph, Florence Joyner., and Michelle Carter.
Please note the difference in backgrounds of these women. One woman, Wilma Rudolph, went from being crippled from polio as a child to the “fastest woman in the world”. Another woman, Michelle Carter, had every privilege imaginable as the daughter of a famous athlete. One woman overcame many obstacles to remain at the top of her game. All three women had the inner strength and resolution to be the best they could.
Wilma Rudolph (1940 – 1994) – Fastest Woman in the World
We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us. Wilma Rudolph
Wilma Glodean Rudolph was the twentieth of twenty-two siblings. She was raised in Tennessee. As a four-year-old child Wilma was stricken with polio and crippled in her legs. Doctors said she might not ever walk again. But Wilma had an indomitable spirit along with a determined mother. Her mother took Wilma to weekly therapy. Wilma was forced to wear a brace on her leg. Her siblings would often remove the brace and massage her leg. Their hard work and Wilma’s determination paid off.
By the age of six, Wilma was able to hop around on one leg. When she was eight, she removed the brace and was able to walk without it. By age 11, Wilma was outside in the street playing basketball with her brothers and the other kids. Her mother noticed that she was a natural athlete and encouraged her to be active in sports at school. Wilma played basketball in high school and set a state record for high school girls’ basketball by scoring 803 points when she was a sophomore.
One day while playing in a game Wilma was spotted by Ed Temple, coach of the Tennessee State University track and field team. He invited her to train with his track team, the Tennessee Tigerbelles though she was still in high school. Wilma never lost a track meet in high school. In 1956, at age sixteen, Wilma competed in the Olympic games and won a bronze medal in a 4×100 relay. Four years later she was ready to compete for the gold.
Wilma Rudolph
The 1960 Olympics in Rome was the first ever televised. Wilma was the first woman to win three gold medals and she broke at least three world records. She earned the title of the “fastest woman in the world.” Although many thousands of people watched Wilma achieve victory after victory, few were aware of her background and her triumph over her struggles with crippled legs as a child. They thought they were just watching another great athlete. Little did they know just how great! Wilma received international recognition and was named “athlete of the year” by the Associated Press in 1961.
When Wilma returned home from the Olympics her town wanted to honor her with a parade. Because most of the city’s facilities were segregated, Wilma refused to participate until they agreed on full integration for all events including banquets and parades. The city planners agreed. This was only the first of many times that Wilma would speak out against the injustice of segregation. Wilma used her celebrity status to support civil rights causes.
Program form Wilma Rudolph Day
In 1963, Wilma retired from sports and went back to school, completing a degree in elementary education at Tennessee State University. She worked in education, teaching in public schools and colleges, but never stopped being involved in sports. She worked at community centers all across the United States coaching and mentoring young women and black athletes. She loved to help young people. Wilma considered her greatest achievement to be the establishment of the Wilma Rudolph Foundation in Indianapolis, a community-based amateur sports program.
Wilma has been inducted into the US Olympic Hall of Fame. In 1990 she became the first woman to receive the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Silver Anniversary Award. Another honor for her was in the naming of the indoor track and dormitory at Tennessee State University after her. A prime-time television movie was made about her in 1977.[1]
Wilma died after suffering from a brain tumor on November 12, 1994. Her legacy remains, however. She helped many young people as their track coach at DePauw University in Indiana. She is remembered both for her athletic ability and as a voice for the underprivileged. She is still the inspiration for many runners.
Florence Delorez Joyner was born on December 21, 1959, in Los Angeles, California. She began running while only seven years old and it soon became apparent that she was gifted. She was very athletic in school and won the Jesse Owens National Youth Games at age 14. She served as the anchor on the relay team at Jordan High School. She continued racing in college in California. She earned a reputation as a track star at UCLA. In 1982 she became the NCAA champion when she won the 200-meter event. In 1983 she took first in the 400-meter event.
Bob Kersee became her coach and in 1984 she went to the summer Olympics in Los Angeles. She won a silver medal for the 200-meter event. There she not only became known for her record-breaking speed but also for the fashionable form-fitting bodysuits that she introduced. A few years later she married Al Joyner, the brother of another black female track star, Jackie Joyner-Kersee. Florence took the legal name Florence Delorez Griffith-Joyner but the public shortened it to “Flo Jo”. Florence had one daughter, Mary.
Her husband began coaching her and so she let Bob Kersee go. She took a break from racing but soon was getting ready for the 1988 Olympics held in Seoul, South Korea. Her hard work paid off! She took 3 gold medals, in the 4-by-100-meter relay, and the 100- and 200-meter runs; and she also took home a silver medal in the 4-by-400 meter relay.
At 1988 Olympics, Seoul
The Associated Press named her the “Female Athlete of the Year” and Track and Field also named her “Female of the Year”. Flo Jo also won the Sullivan Award as the best amateur athlete. Florence retains first place in some events and still holds records in the 100- and 200-meter events with times of 10.49 seconds and 21.34 seconds respectively.
Florence retired after the 1988 Olympics. Though allegations were made that she was using steroids, drug testing proved the accusations false. Florence underwent many drug tests to prove to her accusers that they were wrong including 11 in 1988 alone.
Though retired Florence remained active in athletics. She was appointed to the President’s Council on Physical Fitness in 1993 as co-chair. She went on to establish her own organization to help children. In 1995 Florence was abducted into the Track and Field Hall of Fame. She thought about training for the Olympics again, but her right Achilles tendon was giving her problems, so her hopes were dashed.
Tragically, Florence died unexpectedly on September 21, 1998, of an epileptic seizure. She was living in her home in Mission Viejo, California. She was only 38 years old.
Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Florence’s sister-in-law, Jackie Joyner-Kersee should be mentioned here since we are talking about Black Female Firsts. Jackie became the first American woman to win gold in the long jump. She was also the firstwoman to win consecutive Olympic gold medals in the heptathlon. Like Florence, Jackie was interested in helping children. She founded the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Youth Center Foundation for underprivileged youth in her hometown. Jackie was named the greatest female athlete of the 20th century by Sports Illustrated for Women. She was also inducted into the Track & Field Hall of Fame in 2004.
Michelle Carter (b. 1985) – First in Shot Put
Michelle Carter is another amazing black female athlete. She is the current record holder in America in shot put with a distance of 20.63 meters, set in the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Michelle became the first female athlete to win in shot put since the women’s competition began in 1948. She was inducted into the Hall of Fame in Track and Field in Texas in 2018.
MICHELLE CARTER
Michelle was raised in Texas as the oldest child of Michael and Sandra Carter. Track and field fans might recognize her father, Michael Carter, as one of the most successful shot putters in Texas history, winning many titles in high school. He was also the men’s shot put silver medalist at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Football fans will remember him as a three-time Super Bowl champion playing with the San Francisco 49ers from 1984 to 1992. It seems his daughter, Michelle inherited his athletic abilities as she went on to set the girls University Interscholastic League state record in shot put with a 53’3” throw and threw the discus 169’3: Both father and daughter have been inducted into the Texas Spirts Hall of Fame (Michael 2002, Michelle 2020),
Michelle attended the University of Texas on a full track scholarship. She graduated in 2007 with a B.A. in Youth and Community Studies. Her father was her coach throughout her career. She often referred to him as “Coach Daddy”. They receive many invitations to speak at events. Michelle likes to speak to diverse groups about being more positive and the importance of setting goals. She tries to encourage the young people in her audience to strive for self-confidence.
Michelle began her career in junior high school in 1997. Michelle worked hard and reached her life’s goal to win a gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Over the course of 25 years Michelle:
1. participated in the 2001 World Youth Championships where she won silver.
2. followed her father into the Olympics in 2008.
3. captured gold at the USA Indoor and USA Outdoor Championships in 2013, setting her first American record.
4. won many other championships on her way to her crowning achievement at the 2016 summer Olympics where she won gold and set the record that still stands.
Michelle retired very recently. She almost retired a couple of years ago after having a tumor removed from her right ankle. Her coach/dad encouraged her to participate in a few more events. Finally, she decided to “put the shoes up” after a 25-year career. She is thankful that she had such a long and successful career and now turns her efforts to helping others. She has been nicknamed the “Shot Diva”. She founded the You Throw Girl Confidence Camp and One Golden Shot. She wants her camp to build confidence in young female athletes.
There are so many more black females in sports now thanks to the courageous, exemplary efforts of the pioneering women in sports. I thank God that black girls and women have more opportunities and I pray that racial prejudice will continue to decline in our culture.
[1] You can get the movie on Amazon. Interesting piece of trivia – I think this was the amazingly handsome Denzel Washington’s first movie.
Black Women in America – Part 16
Black Women in Sports
I have really enjoyed discovering the stories of great Black Women in America. Too many of these remarkable women have been forgotten. Black women, especially those who lived many decades ago, were very courageous and their testimonies of persevering in the face of so much prejudice should be an encouragement to all. Great strides have been made in granting equal opportunities to Black women, but we still have a long way to go.
There are so many great Black women; we can only cover the stories of a few. For that reason, we are focusing on “Firsts” in history. We began this series by covering the stories of women who were “Firsts” in Education, including women who earned PhD’s and famous educators. We talked about famous First writers and authors and famous artists. Then we discovered the stories of Black Women Firsts in Science, Inventions, and Medicine.
Last time we began to look at the stories of outstanding Black female athletes. We started by honoring two tennis players – Althea Gibson and Serena Williams. Many more black women are playing tennis today due in part to the pioneering efforts of these two great women. This time we turn to other great athletes in Track and Field – all gold medal winners – Wilma Rudolph, Florence Joyner., and Michelle Carter.
Please note the difference in backgrounds of these women. One woman, Wilma Rudolph, went from being crippled from polio as a child to the “fastest woman in the world”. Another woman, Michelle Carter, had every privilege imaginable as the daughter of a famous athlete. One woman overcame many obstacles to remain at the top of her game. All three women had the inner strength and resolution to be the best they could.
Wilma Rudolph (1940 – 1994) – Fastest Woman in the World
We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us.
Wilma Rudolph
Wilma Glodean Rudolph was the twentieth of twenty-two siblings. She was raised in Tennessee. As a four-year-old child Wilma was stricken with polio and crippled in her legs. Doctors said she might not ever walk again. But Wilma had an indomitable spirit along with a determined mother. Her mother took Wilma to weekly therapy. Wilma was forced to wear a brace on her leg. Her siblings would often remove the brace and massage her leg. Their hard work and Wilma’s determination paid off.
By the age of six, Wilma was able to hop around on one leg. When she was eight, she removed the brace and was able to walk without it. By age 11, Wilma was outside in the street playing basketball with her brothers and the other kids. Her mother noticed that she was a natural athlete and encouraged her to be active in sports at school. Wilma played basketball in high school and set a state record for high school girls’ basketball by scoring 803 points when she was a sophomore.
One day while playing in a game Wilma was spotted by Ed Temple, coach of the Tennessee State University track and field team. He invited her to train with his track team, the Tennessee Tigerbelles though she was still in high school. Wilma never lost a track meet in high school. In 1956, at age sixteen, Wilma competed in the Olympic games and won a bronze medal in a 4×100 relay. Four years later she was ready to compete for the gold.
The 1960 Olympics in Rome was the first ever televised. Wilma was the first woman to win three gold medals and she broke at least three world records. She earned the title of the “fastest woman in the world.” Although many thousands of people watched Wilma achieve victory after victory, few were aware of her background and her triumph over her struggles with crippled legs as a child. They thought they were just watching another great athlete. Little did they know just how great! Wilma received international recognition and was named “athlete of the year” by the Associated Press in 1961.
When Wilma returned home from the Olympics her town wanted to honor her with a parade. Because most of the city’s facilities were segregated, Wilma refused to participate until they agreed on full integration for all events including banquets and parades. The city planners agreed. This was only the first of many times that Wilma would speak out against the injustice of segregation. Wilma used her celebrity status to support civil rights causes.
In 1963, Wilma retired from sports and went back to school, completing a degree in elementary education at Tennessee State University. She worked in education, teaching in public schools and colleges, but never stopped being involved in sports. She worked at community centers all across the United States coaching and mentoring young women and black athletes. She loved to help young people. Wilma considered her greatest achievement to be the establishment of the Wilma Rudolph Foundation in Indianapolis, a community-based amateur sports program.
Wilma has been inducted into the US Olympic Hall of Fame. In 1990 she became the first woman to receive the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Silver Anniversary Award. Another honor for her was in the naming of the indoor track and dormitory at Tennessee State University after her. A prime-time television movie was made about her in 1977.[1]
Wilma died after suffering from a brain tumor on November 12, 1994. Her legacy remains, however. She helped many young people as their track coach at DePauw University in Indiana. She is remembered both for her athletic ability and as a voice for the underprivileged. She is still the inspiration for many runners.
Florence Joyner – “Flo Jo” – (1959 – 1998) – Multiple Golds
Florence Delorez Joyner was born on December 21, 1959, in Los Angeles, California. She began running while only seven years old and it soon became apparent that she was gifted. She was very athletic in school and won the Jesse Owens National Youth Games at age 14. She served as the anchor on the relay team at Jordan High School. She continued racing in college in California. She earned a reputation as a track star at UCLA. In 1982 she became the NCAA champion when she won the 200-meter event. In 1983 she took first in the 400-meter event.
Bob Kersee became her coach and in 1984 she went to the summer Olympics in Los Angeles. She won a silver medal for the 200-meter event. There she not only became known for her record-breaking speed but also for the fashionable form-fitting bodysuits that she introduced. A few years later she married Al Joyner, the brother of another black female track star, Jackie Joyner-Kersee. Florence took the legal name Florence Delorez Griffith-Joyner but the public shortened it to “Flo Jo”. Florence had one daughter, Mary.
Her husband began coaching her and so she let Bob Kersee go. She took a break from racing but soon was getting ready for the 1988 Olympics held in Seoul, South Korea. Her hard work paid off! She took 3 gold medals, in the 4-by-100-meter relay, and the 100- and 200-meter runs; and she also took home a silver medal in the 4-by-400 meter relay.
The Associated Press named her the “Female Athlete of the Year” and Track and Field also named her “Female of the Year”. Flo Jo also won the Sullivan Award as the best amateur athlete. Florence retains first place in some events and still holds records in the 100- and 200-meter events with times of 10.49 seconds and 21.34 seconds respectively.
Florence retired after the 1988 Olympics. Though allegations were made that she was using steroids, drug testing proved the accusations false. Florence underwent many drug tests to prove to her accusers that they were wrong including 11 in 1988 alone.
Though retired Florence remained active in athletics. She was appointed to the President’s Council on Physical Fitness in 1993 as co-chair. She went on to establish her own organization to help children. In 1995 Florence was abducted into the Track and Field Hall of Fame. She thought about training for the Olympics again, but her right Achilles tendon was giving her problems, so her hopes were dashed.
Tragically, Florence died unexpectedly on September 21, 1998, of an epileptic seizure. She was living in her home in Mission Viejo, California. She was only 38 years old.
Florence’s sister-in-law, Jackie Joyner-Kersee should be mentioned here since we are talking about Black Female Firsts. Jackie became the first American woman to win gold in the long jump. She was also the firstwoman to win consecutive Olympic gold medals in the heptathlon. Like Florence, Jackie was interested in helping children. She founded the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Youth Center Foundation for underprivileged youth in her hometown. Jackie was named the greatest female athlete of the 20th century by Sports Illustrated for Women. She was also inducted into the Track & Field Hall of Fame in 2004.
Michelle Carter (b. 1985) – First in Shot Put
Michelle Carter is another amazing black female athlete. She is the current record holder in America in shot put with a distance of 20.63 meters, set in the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Michelle became the first female athlete to win in shot put since the women’s competition began in 1948. She was inducted into the Hall of Fame in Track and Field in Texas in 2018.
Michelle was raised in Texas as the oldest child of Michael and Sandra Carter. Track and field fans might recognize her father, Michael Carter, as one of the most successful shot putters in Texas history, winning many titles in high school. He was also the men’s shot put silver medalist at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Football fans will remember him as a three-time Super Bowl champion playing with the San Francisco 49ers from 1984 to 1992. It seems his daughter, Michelle inherited his athletic abilities as she went on to set the girls University Interscholastic League state record in shot put with a 53’3” throw and threw the discus 169’3: Both father and daughter have been inducted into the Texas Spirts Hall of Fame (Michael 2002, Michelle 2020),
Michelle attended the University of Texas on a full track scholarship. She graduated in 2007 with a B.A. in Youth and Community Studies. Her father was her coach throughout her career. She often referred to him as “Coach Daddy”. They receive many invitations to speak at events. Michelle likes to speak to diverse groups about being more positive and the importance of setting goals. She tries to encourage the young people in her audience to strive for self-confidence.
Michelle began her career in junior high school in 1997. Michelle worked hard and reached her life’s goal to win a gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Over the course of 25 years Michelle:
1. participated in the 2001 World Youth Championships where she won silver.
2. followed her father into the Olympics in 2008.
3. captured gold at the USA Indoor and USA Outdoor Championships in 2013, setting her first American record.
4. won many other championships on her way to her crowning achievement at the 2016 summer Olympics where she won gold and set the record that still stands.
Michelle retired very recently. She almost retired a couple of years ago after having a tumor removed from her right ankle. Her coach/dad encouraged her to participate in a few more events. Finally, she decided to “put the shoes up” after a 25-year career. She is thankful that she had such a long and successful career and now turns her efforts to helping others. She has been nicknamed the “Shot Diva”. She founded the You Throw Girl Confidence Camp and One Golden Shot. She wants her camp to build confidence in young female athletes.
There are so many more black females in sports now thanks to the courageous, exemplary efforts of the pioneering women in sports. I thank God that black girls and women have more opportunities and I pray that racial prejudice will continue to decline in our culture.
[1] You can get the movie on Amazon. Interesting piece of trivia – I think this was the amazingly handsome Denzel Washington’s first movie.
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