Arthur Ashe
In 1968, Arthur Ashe Became The First Winner Of The U.S. Open Tennis Championship -- Defeating Tom Okker Of The Netherlands At Forest Hills Stadium, New York. He Ushered In The “Open Era” Of Tennis, Which Allowed Both Professional And Amateur Players To Compete Against Each Other.
On July 5, 1975, Ashe Defeated Jimmy Conners To Win The Men's Singles Title At Wimbledon, England
He Remains The Only Black Male To Win A Men's Singles At Wimbledon, The U.S. Open Or The Australian Open.
He Is One Of Only Two Black Men To Win A Grand Slam Singles Event (Yannick Noah Is The Other). Ashe Was Also The First Black Male To Join The American Davis Cup Team (1963).
Besides His Achievements In Tennis, Ashe Devoted Time To Helping Young Black Athletes Develop Their Skills And Wrote A Hard Road To Glory, A Book That Profiled African American Athletes. He Was Also A Civil Rights And Anti-Apartheid Activist.
In His Final Years He Was A Spokesman In The Fight Against AIDS, A Disease He Contracted From A Blood Transfusion, During Open Heart Surgery. Ashe Died At The Age Of 49, In 1993.
Prior To His Death The Richmond, Virginia Native Had Become The First Black Male To Be Inducted Into The International Tennis Hall Of Fame.
"In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Life Into It." -- Hubert Gaddy, Jr. Hugh Gaddy
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Posted By: Hugh Gaddy
Wednesday, September 9th 2009 at 12:50AM
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