Celebrating Black History Everyday
February is Black History Month, which is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing the central role of blacks in U.S. history.
Exploring the contributions of African Americans in tennis, the first African American male to win Wimbledon, Arthur Ashe said…
“There were times when I asked myself whether I was being principled or simply a coward…. I was wrapped in the cocoon of tennis early in life, mainly by blacks like my most powerful mentor, Dr. Robert Walter Johnson of Lynchburg, Virginia. They insisted that I be unfailingly polite on the court, unfalteringly calm and detached, so that whites could never accuse me of meanness. I learned well. I look at photographs of the skinny, frail, little black boy that I was in the early 1950s, and I see that I was my tennis racquet and my tennis racquet was me. It was my rod and my staff.”
Join us in celebrating the legacy of Colorado’s Breaking the Barriers: An Exhibition in Courage portrait series, featuring local African American tennis pioneers and contributors who lead the path to allow everyone who has a desire to play tennis and enjoy this lifetime sport.
Diversity and Inclusion are our core values and strategic priorities for USTA Colorado. We reach out to all players, including those of diverse cultural backgrounds, mentally and physically challenged athletes, and under-served communities.
