African-American Athletes

Profile managers: Emma MacBeath [send private message] and US Black Heritage Project WikiTree [send private message]

This page is a list of notable Black American athletes in various sports and events.

Baseball Stars

See First African-American Players in Major League Baseball

• Jackie Robinson – 1947-1956.
• Larry Doby – 1947-1959.
• Hank Thompson – 1947-1956.
• Willard “Home Run” Brown – 1947.
• Monford Irvin – 1949-1956.
• Sam “The Jet” Jethroe – 1950-1954.
• Willie Mays – 1951-1973.
• Bob Trice – 1953-1955.
• Ernie Banks -1953-1971
• Curt Roberts - 1954-1956
• John B. "Bud" Fowler
• Moses Fleetwood Walker
• Don Newcombe
• Bob Gibson
• Elston Howard

Basketball Stars

• Wilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain
• Don Barksdale
• Kobe Bryant
• Harry Lew
• Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton
• Chuck Cooper
• Earl Lloyd
• Oscar Robertson (still living)
• Elgin Baylor
• Clarence "Fats" Jenkins

Boxing

• Muhammad Ali
• John Arthur "Jack" Johnson
• Henry Armstrong
• Joe Louis
• Sugar Ray Robinson
• Joe Gans

Cycling

• Marshall "Major" Taylor

Football Stars

• Ernie Davis
• Ray Kemp
• Marion Motley
• William "Bill" Karnet Willis
• Walter Payton
• Eddie Gay Robinson Sr. (Coach)
• Claude "Buddy" Young
• William H. Lewis
• Fritz Pollard
• Bobby Marshall
• Duke Slater
• Willie Thrower
• Elmen Lewis Tunnell
• Bobby Mitchell
• Fletcher Joseph "Joe" Perry
• Roosevelt "Rosey" Brown
• Richard "Night Train" Lane
• Ollie Matson
• James Thomas Parker
• Leonard Ford
• Gale Sayers
• Herbert Adderley
• David "Deacon" Jones
• Willie Davis
• William Ferdie Brown
• John Henry Johnson
• Gene Upshaw 1945
• William Vernell Wood
• Junious Buchanan 1940
• John Mackey 1941
• Kenneth Stanley Washington (1918-1971)
• Burl Abron Toler Sr. (May 9, 1928 – August 16, 2009) ( Burl Toler on Wikipedia)
• Curtis James Martin Jr. (born May 1, 1973) (LIVING (should qualify as a Living Notable)) (Curtis Martin on Wikipedia)
• Douglas Lee Williams (born August 9, 1955) (LIVING (should qualify as a Living Notable)) (Doug Williams (quarterback) on Wikipedia)
• Johnny Grier (born April 16, 1947) (LIVING (does not currently qualify as a Living Notable)) (Johnny Grier on Wikipedia)

Golf Stars

• Charles Luther Sifford

Motor sports

• Wendell Scott

Olympics

• Bob Beamon 1968
• Simone Biles 2016
• Usain Bolt 2008
• John Carlos 1968
• Alice Coachman 1948
• Shani Davis 2006
• [[Douglas-5117[Gabby Douglas]] 2012
• Vonetta Flowers 2002, 2006
• Florence Griffith-Joyner 1988
• Simone Manuel 2016
• Ibtihaj Muhammad 2016
• Jesse Owens 1936
• George Coleman Poage 1904
• Wilma Rudolph 1956, 1960
• Claressa Shields 2012, 2016
• Tommie Smith 1968
• Elana Meyers Taylor 2010, 2014
• John Taylor 1908
• Lauryn Williams 2004, 2012, 2014
• DeHart Hubbard 1924
• Alice Coachman 1948

Tennis Stars

• Arthur Robert Ashe Jr
• Althea Gibson
• Lucy Diggs Slowe

Track and Field