By Nunnie Robinson, WG Sports Editor
As we culminate Black History Month, I wanted to illuminate some of the forgotten gems of the past, many of whose contributions were overshadowed, marginalized and too often buried in thedark days of segregation and Jim Crow.
Jockey Issac Murphy, the most dominant jockey in horse racing , won his first race at 14, and went on to have the best record in racing history. He won the Kentucky Derby 3 times and 628 victories overall, becoming the highest paid athlete earning an unprecedented $20,000 a year in the 1880s. He was inducted into the very first Racing Hall of Fame class, undoubtedly the greatest jockey of his era. In the first Kentucky Derby in 1875, 13 of the 15 jockeys were Black. Of the first 28 races Black jockeys won 15 of those races. However, the larger society decided that this was unacceptable and through violence, intimidation and exclusion cleansed the sport of Black jockeys.
In cycling Marshall “Major” Taylor, born November 26 in Indianapolis, Indiana, was the fastest rider in the world, winning thousands of dollars in races as bicyclist in front of myriad fans in an indoor arena called a veladrome. A military jacket that he often adorned gave him the nickname “Major.” By the age of 20, he was a national and international world champion. Cycling in the late 1800s and early 20th century was more popular than boxing or baseball. He was so dominant that he was given other worldly monikers like the Cyclone or Whirlwind. It is documented that despite his success, he was confronted with the vagaries of segregation and prejudice. He died penniless, relatively young at age 53.
Fritz Pollard was the first in many arenas: only African American student/athlete at his Chicago high school, Lane Tech – the first athlete to play in the Rose Bowl, the first to play in the NFL and the first to become a NFL head coach. He attended Brown University, was a WWI veteran, and led the Akron Pros to the then AFL championship in 1920. His success as a professional player/coach was frowned upon by his cronies, fellow coaches and owners, a collusion ensued, the Akron Pros disbanded and for 13 years no Blacks played in the league. The very obstacles that many refer to as America’s original sin (segregated housing, prohibited from eating in same restaurants with teammates and having to suffer the physical abuse on the field and verbal taunts) inspired the deplorable actions leading to Mr. Pollard’s sudden disappearance from professional football. Undaunted, he formed an all Black team in the Chicago area and in 2003 was posthumously inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame.
- Despite the barriers – physical, mental, emotional and moral – pioneering Black American athletes in all sports made tremendous strides in their quest for the American dream.
