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1 Althea Gibson

18 History-Making Black Women You Probably Didn't Learn About In School

By Ayana Lage and JR Thorpe, Updated: - Originally Published: -

https://imgix.bustle.com/uploads/image/2018/2/2/a140a2a9-a0d5-4b08-a7ad-692981dbc8a9-althea_gibson_nywts.jpg?w=632&fit=crop&crop=faces&auto=format%2Ccompress

Althea Gibson

Unless you're a longtime tennis fan, you may not be familiar with Althea Gibson, who was the first Black woman to compete at Wimbledon in 1951, according to the International Tennis Hall Of Fame, opening doors for Black athletes everywhere. And she didn't just compete — her victories are legendary. She went on to win singles titles at the U.S. Open and Wimbledon in 1957 and 1958, and the Associated Press named her Female Athlete of the Year those same two years in a row.

In 2016, Serena Williams recognized her accomplishments when she tweeted, "Althea Gibson paved the way for all women of color in sport." And though Gibson is most famous for her tennis skills, that wasn't the only sport she played. Gibson became a professional golfer in 1963, just years after winning her tennis titles.

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18 History-Making Black Women You Probably Didn't Learn About In School

Any time of year is an excellent one to learn about Black women in history who accomplished incredible things, but have been neglected by historians — particularly those who've been excluded from your high school or college curricula. Beyond Rosa Parks and Harriet Tubman, there are thousands of Black women who broke barriers — in sport, medicine, literature, politics, and every other sphere — and deserve much greater recognition.

According to the National Council for the Social Studies, not knowing about these extraordinary Black women is common. "Only one to two lessons or 8–9 percent [sic] of total class time is devoted to Black history in U.S. history classrooms," the organization says. They recommend curriculum "from a Black perspective with topics specifically geared towards the Black experience" to help improve the superficial knowledge many kids are left with after Black history lessons.

History isn’t fixed in textbooks; it’s a continual process of discovery you can take part in no matter what your knowledge base is. Even if you're done with school, you can still learn, which where this list of 18 Black women you should know about comes in. From civil rights activists, to poets, sports stars, and state leaders, knowing these women’s stories is essential — and long overdue.

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18 History-Making Black Women You Probably Didn't Learn About In School

By Ayana Lage and JR Thorpe, Updated: - Originally Published: -
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