Bigger Than the Score Board: Celebrating the African American Athlete
Kevin B. Thomas
Director of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion / National Junior College Athletic Association
As America celebrates Black History Month, I can't help but think of Black athletes who are an inspiration to thousands of student-athletes across the country. Throughout our history, the stain of racism has been woven into the fabric of this country. From plantation fields to kitchen tables, lessons taught are as old as our nation's beginning - evident through people's actions and attitudes. It's been reflected in systems and institutions. The thread of racism is more than words, beliefs, and actions. It includes all strands, strings, and knots meticulously woven together to prevent people of color from enjoying dignity and equality.
Inspirational athletes of all ethnicities have helped shape modern culture. In the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany, Jessie Owens rose to national prominence by winning four gold medals. He was the most successful athlete at the Games and, as an African American man, credited with "single-handedly crushing Hitler's myth of Aryan supremacy."
In 1947, Brooklyn, New York voices rose when Jackie Robinson became the first Black man to play baseball in the Major leagues. This single act of courage by Robinson may have been the single most successful demonstration of racial equality in American sports history. On September 30, 1967, Nathaniel Northington became the first Black athlete to play in an SEC football game, taking snaps at safety in the University of Kentucky's 26-13 loss to the University of Mississippi. Although Northington never got to play consistently in games, he sparked a movement that would allow Black athletes access to college football in the South.
Throughout history, when allowed to play, swing, run, and swim, Black athletes not only excelled athletically but academically and professionally. Today, as we watch sports on our televisions, in the stands, or our favorite sports bar, we see Black athletes proudly wearing and representing the colors of many colleges and professional teams. Behind those colors live a past deep-rooted in the belief that, if given the chance, they can use their talents not to just score points, but to fight against racism. Their talents spoke louder than scoreboards and gave them a voice that echoed across this country, helping turn stadiums permeated with the radical boos of racism, into the thunderous cheers of equality.
With every swing, shot, run, and breath, Black athletes turned the tides of segregation throughout sports into one of America's great equalizers. Children who once couldn't share the same classroom because of their color, now celebrate together in the locker room. Adults who couldn't eat in the same restaurant, now cheer loudly together because the color of a jersey taught them to see beyond the color of their skin. Black athletes in sports helped shape and mold this country for the better, but that fight for equality, fairness, and justice still permeates with every catch, shot, and run. Their talents and voices continue to fight for access to education, equality in employment, and the opportunity for fairness.
For generations, Black children have sat inside elementary classrooms during "Career Day" at their local school. They listened to doctors, lawyers, teachers, police officers, and other professionals speak about their careers. At the end of the day, students were asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Many Black students answered they didn't want to be lawyers, teachers, or doctors, instead they raised their hands and shouted, "I want to be an athlete!" Their answers reflected what they saw on televisions in their homes; their heroes, and individuals who looked like them. In their heroes, they saw success from talents, if given the opportunity to use them.
From Robinson to LeBron James, the Black American athlete's dream started by celebrating what was seen on television. The dream is bigger than sports - it's what sports could provide. In their heroes, they realized they could be more than an athlete. They discovered a world of opportunity never shown in the communities where they lived. Because of their heroes, all children today can now say, "I want to be more than just an athlete!" Now, wouldn't that be amazing?