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September 1957. New York. "Tennis champion Althea Gibson unpacking trophies at her home in Harlem." Medium format acetate negative by Genevieve Naylor for the Look magazine assignment "Althea Gibson: Tragic Success Story." View full size.
... on the record player. She achieved her greatest success, of course, as a tennis player. But she also played professional golf, and was the first Black member of the LPGA. And she was a talented vocalist and saxophonist. She recorded an album for Dot Records, and sang on the Ed Sullivan show. Here's a sample:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcuXTeVNlS0&list=PLrXSWFwzSmZt4eAswmpao3...
The problem is we never know where genius is going to come from. How did Althea Gibson's record breaking (great title, Dave) tennis game not come from a leafy suburb near a country club where someone was coached from an early age? Even today we need to do a better job recognizing, encouraging, and rewarding extraordinary ability when and where it appears. Not just in sports.
That turntable looks almost steampunk.
Ms. Gibson had to overcome two big challenges - a lack of money and an abundance of melanin - in an era when tennis was synonymous with wealthy white people. She was at the top her game in 1957, receiving an audience with Queen Elizabeth (after a Wimbledon win) and a ticker-tape parade in New York.
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