African Americans are a demographic minority in the United States. The first achievements by African Americans in various fields historically marked footholds, often leading to more widespread cultural change. The shorthand phrase for this is "breaking the color barrier".Juguo, Zhang (2001). W. E. B. Du Bois: The Quest for the Abolition of the Color Line. Routledge. Herbst, Philip H (1997). The Color of Words: An Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Ethnic Bias in the United States. Intercultural Press. p. 57.
The world of sports generally is invoked in the frequently cited example of Jackie Robinson, who became the first African American of the modern era to become a Major League Baseball player in 1947, after 60 years of segregated Negro leagues.Sailes, Gary Alan (1998). "Jackie Robinson: Breaking the Color Barrier in Team Sports". African Americans in Sport: Contemporary Themes, Transaction Publishers. p. 8.
19th century
1879 First African American to play major league baseball: Possibly William Edward White; he played as a substitute in one professional baseball game for the Providence Grays of the National League, on June 21, 1879.William Edward White: Statistics and History Baseball-Reference Work by the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) suggests that he may have been the first African-American to play major league baseball, predating the longer careers of Moses Fleetwood Walker and his brother Weldy Walker by five years; and Jackie Robinson by 68 years.
1884 First African American to play professional baseball at the major-league level: Possibly Moses Fleetwood Walker, but see also William Edward White in 1879.
1896 First African American to compete in the U.S. Open Golf Championship: John Shippen. He was also the first American golf professional.
1899
First African American to win a gold medal at the Track Cycling World Championships: Major Taylor (Sprint). This also made him the first African American to achieve world championship in any sport.
20th century
1902 First African American professional basketball player: Harry Lew (New England Professional Basketball League) (See also: 1950) First African-American professional American football player: Charles Follis First African American boxing champion: Joe Gans, a lightweight
1904
First African American to participate in the Olympic Games, and first to win a medal: George Poage (two bronze medals)
1908
First African American heavyweight boxing champion: Jack Johnson First African American Olympic gold medal winner: John Taylor (track and field medley relay team). (See also: DeHart Hubbard, 1924)
1910s
1916 First African American football player to play in a Rose Bowl game: Fritz Pollard, Brown University
1917 First African American woman to win a major sports title: Lucy Diggs Slowe, American Tennis Association
1920s
1920 First African American NFL football players: Fritz Pollard (Akron Pros) and Bobby Marshall (Rock Island Independents)
1921 First African American NFL football coach: Fritz Pollard, co-head coach, Akron Pros, while continuing to play running back
1924 First African American to win individual Olympic gold medal: DeHart Hubbard (Long jump, 1924 Summer Olympics). (See also: John Taylor, 1908)
1929 First African American sportscaster: Sherman "Jocko" Maxwell (WNJR, Newark, New Jersey)
1930s
1936 First African-American professional baseball player in Japan: Jimmy Bonner
1940s
1946 First African American to sign a contract with an NFL team in the modern (post-World War II) era: Kenny Washington
1947 First African American Major League Baseball player of the modern era: Jackie Robinson (Brooklyn Dodgers). (See also: Moses Fleetwood Walker, 1884) First African-American Major League Baseball player in the American League: Larry Doby (Cleveland Indians). First African American consensus college All-American basketball player: Don Barksdale
1948 First African American to play in a post-season collegiate tournament: Clarence Walker, for Indiana State in the 1948 NAIA Tournament.https://web.archive.org/web/20100209202101/http://www.coachwooden.com/ |url-status = live }} First African American woman to win an Olympic gold medal: Alice Coachman First African American on an Olympic basketball team and first African-American Olympic gold medal basketball winner: Don Barksdale, in the 1948 Summer Olympics First African American to design and construct a professional golf course: Bill Powell
1949 First African American to win an MVP award in Major League Baseball: Jackie Robinson (Brooklyn Dodgers, National League) (See also: Elston Howard, 1963)
1950s
1950 First African American woman to compete on the world tennis tour: Althea Gibson First African American NBA basketball players: Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton (New York Knicks), Chuck Cooper (Boston Celtics), and Earl Lloyd (Washington Capitols). Harold Hunter was the first to sign an NBA contract, with the Washington Capitols on April 26, 1950. He was released from it during training camp and did not play professionally. (See also: 1902)
1951 First African American named to the College Football Hall of Fame: Duke Slater, University of Iowa (1918–1921) First African American quarterback to become a regular starter for a professional football team: Bernie Custis (Hamilton Tiger-Cats)
1952 First African American sportswoman to endorse an international consumer product: Alice Coachman for Coca-Cola
1953 First African American basketball player to play in the NBA All-Star Game: Don Barksdale in the 1953 NBA All-Star Game First African American quarterback to play in the National Football League during the modern (post-World War II) era: Willie Thrower (Chicago Bears)
1955 First African Americans to play in the Orange Bowl: Charles Bryant and Jon McWilliams (University of Nebraska)"Huskers to Break Racial Barrier", Des Moines Register, Dec. 28, 1954
1956 First African American to break the color barrier in the Sugar Bowl: Bobby Grier, (Pittsburgh Panthers in the 1956 Sugar Bowl) First African American Wimbledon tennis champion: Althea Gibson (doubles, with Englishwoman Angela Buxton); also first African American to win a Grand Slam event (French Open). (See also: Arthur Ashe, 1968; Serena Williams, 2003) First African American to win the Cy Young Award as the top pitcher in Major League Baseball, in the award's inaugural year: Don Newcombe (Brooklyn Dodgers)
1957
First African American NFL assistant coach (receivers coach) of the modern era: Lowell Perry (Pittsburgh Steelers) (See also: 1966)
1960s
1961 First African American to win the Heisman Trophy: Ernie Davis (Syracuse University) First African American to join the PGA Tour: Charlie Sifford
1962 First African American to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame: Jackie Robinson (See also: Satchel Paige, 1971) First African-American coach in Major League Baseball: John Jordan "Buck" O'Neil (Chicago Cubs)
1963 First African American to be named American League MVP: Elston Howard (New York Yankees) (See also: Jackie Robinson, 1949) First African Americans inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame: New York Renaissance, inducted as a team. (See also: Bob Douglas, 1972; Bill Russell, 1975; Clarence Gaines, 1982) First African American to win a NASCAR Grand National event: Wendell Scott. See also 2015.
1964 First African-American baseball player to be named the Major League Baseball World Series MVP: Bob Gibson, St. Louis Cardinals First African-American to join the Ladies Professional Golf Association: Althea Gibson First African-American baseball player to be named the captain of a Major League Baseball team: Willie Mays, San Francisco Giants
1966 First African-American coach in the National Basketball Association: Bill Russell (Boston Celtics) First African-American Major League Baseball umpire: Emmett Ashford First African-American NFL broadcaster: Lowell Perry (CBS, on Pittsburgh Steelers games) (See also: 1957) First team with 5 African American starters to win the NCAA basketball tournament: 1965–66 Texas Western Miners basketball team
1967 First African American to win a PGA Tour event: Charlie Sifford (1967 Greater Hartford Open Invitational) First African American to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Emlen Tunnell
1968 First African-American man to win a Grand Slam tennis event: Arthur Ashe (US Open) (See also: Althea Gibson, 1956; Serena Williams, 2003) First African American to start at quarterback in the modern era of professional football: Marlin Briscoe (Denver Broncos, AFL) First African-American coach to win NBA Championship: Bill Russell
1970s
1970 First African-American basketball player to win the NBA All Star MVP, the NBA Finals MVP, and the NBA MVP all in the same season: Willis Reed (New York Knicks) First African-American NCAA Division I basketball coach: Will Robinson (Illinois State University)At the time, the NCAA had not yet adopted its three-division system. Illinois State was in the NCAA University Division, which became Division I in 1973. The NCAA retroactively considers University Division members to have been Division I members. First African American to initiate the concept of free agency. He refused to accept a trade following the 1969 season, ultimately appealing his case to the U.S. Supreme Court. The trend of free agency expanded across the entire landscape of professional sports for all races and all cultures: Curt Flood (St. Louis Cardinals)Although Flood's legal challenge was unsuccessful, it brought about additional solidarity among players as they fought against baseball's reserve clause and sought free agency.
1972 First African-American National Basketball Association general manager: Wayne Embry First African American inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame: Team-owner and coach Bob Douglas, in the category of "contributor" (See also: New York Renaissance, 1963; player Bill Russell, 1975; coach Clarence Gaines, 1982)
1974 First African-American NBA Coach of the Year: Ray Scott (Detroit Pistons)
1975 First African American inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player: Bill Russell (See also: Harlem Renaissance, 1963; Bob Douglas, 1972; Clarence Gaines, 1982) First African-American manager in Major League Baseball: Frank Robinson (Cleveland Indians) First African American to play in a men's major golf championship: Lee Elder (The Masters) First African American to be named Super Bowl MVP in NFL: Franco Harris (Pittsburgh Steelers). Of mixed heritage, Harris was also first Italian American to win the award.
1977 First African-American Major League Baseball general manager: Bill Lucas (Atlanta Braves)
1979 First African-American head football coach in Division I-A: Willie Jeffries (Wichita State) First African-American to play professional basketball behind the Iron Curtain: Kent Washington in January 1979 for KS Start Lublin, Poland.
1980s
1981 First African American to play in the NHL: Val James (Buffalo Sabres)The NHL had fielded black players for more than 20 years, with the first being Willie O'Ree in 1958, but all previous black players were Black Canadians and not African Americans. In 1996, Mike Grier (Edmonton Oilers) became the first to have been both born and exclusively trained in the U.S., per
1982 First African American inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach: Clarence Gaines (See also: New York Renaissance, 1963; Bob Douglas, 1972; Bill Russell, 1975)
1984 First African-American coach to win the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship: John Thompson (Georgetown)
1986