Sports and Culture

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Fifteen of the �rst twenty-eight Kentucky Derby winners were African-Americans. The reality is that though African-American jockeys are rare today, through the early 1900s, they dominated the sport, especially in the South. Oliver Lewis, riding the horse, Aristides, won the �rst race of the Derby in 1875 (which was also trained by a Black man, Arisel Williamson, a former slave). Amazingly from today's perspective, at a time horse racing was the dominant American sport, 13 of the 15 riders in that �rst race were Black.

For centuries, plantation owners charged their slaves with the responsibility of caring for and training their horses. After emancipation, it was only logical for Southerners to continue the tradition. It should be noted that at the same time in the North Irish and

English immigrants dominated the sport. Isaac Murphy, the son of a former slave and who some in the sport consider to be the greatest American jockey in history, was the �rst jockey to win back-to-back championships, eventually winning three Derbys in all. Willie Smith became the only African-American to win the triple-crown (Kentucky Derby, Preakness, Belmont).

The last Black winner was Jimmy Wink�eld in 1902. The early 1900s saw the legacy of African-American riders dwindling. Institutional racism, Jim Crowism, and a change of attitudes within society were blamed for the pressure White jockeys exerted on Black riders. Threats, the sting of the whip (intended for the horses, but used on Black jockeys), and of�cials that looked the other way, led to a steady and rapid decline and the eventual elimination of Black riders. From 1921 - 2000, no Black riders participated in the Kentucky Derby, a trend that halted with the entry of Willie Simms, who �nished 7th in the race. (The Kentucky Derby's Forgotten Black Jockeys)

The story of Joe Louis, the Brown Bomber, would be funny, if it weren t true. At a time Blacks were in the United States were enduring Jim Crowism, relegated to second class citizenship, denied the right to vote or to live where they could afford, denied equal opportunities in employment, denied equal access to education, and limited in their right to serve and die in war, the United States held him up as a shining example of Americanism against Nazi Germany. Louis in most known for his second �ght with German boxer Max Schmeling Think back to your American history classes. Remember Nazi Germany prided itself on the superiority of the Aryan race. There was no doubt in many German minds that the outcome of the 2nd �ght would be the same as the �rst, the decisive defeat of Louis. After all, Schmeling s victory, the �rst defeat of Louis during his professional career, was proof of Aryan superiority.

The second �ght had political implications as well as social implications. The knockout of Schmeling in the �rst round stunned Germany and immediately elevated Louis to the role of American hero. The �ght lasted two minutes and four seconds. Quite a shocker to Germans who touted that there was no way a Black man could possibly defeat a pure Aryan. Louis over the next 12 years held the title of heavyweight champion of the world.

In 1942, Louis voluntarily enlisted in the U.S. Army. As a private his skills as a �ghter were used in charity bouts and recruitment videos aimed mainly at African-American men. After his service to the army, Louis made attempts to reignite his boxing career, but with little success.

Tiger Woods, a self-described, Calblinasin (his ethnic background is Caucasian, Black, Native American, Chinese and Thai) took the golf world by storm. Introduced to golf as a two year old, he was groomed by his father to become what he was, a man who changed the direction of professional golf. Before Tiger Woods, there were no

million dollar cups and high viewership of golf tournaments. But, Tiger Woods was not the �rst Black man to play professional golf.

Though not permitted for decades to be members of certain golf club, there is a historical presence of Blacks in the PGA. Lee Elders was the �rst Black to play in the Masters and the Ryder Cup; in 1896, John Shippen played in the second U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, where he placed sixth winning a $10 prize (remember $10 was a lot of money in 1896); Robert Hawkins in 1926 created the United Golf Association which established a golf tour for players excluded from the PGA; and

William Powell, in Canton Ohio, became the only African-American to build, own, and operate a golf course. (Timeline of African-American Achievements in Golf)

In 1979, Calvin Pete won the �rst of 12 tournaments and won the PGA s driving accuracy title for ten consecutive years (1981-1990). Before the emergence of Tiger Woods, Peete was the most successful African American on the PGA Tour. (The History Makers)