List of African - American sports firsts - wikipedia List of African - American sports firsts African - American topics History ( timeline ) Atlantic slave trade African - American history Slavery in the United States History in agriculture African - American business history African - American military history Jim Crow laws Great Migration Redlining Second Great Migration Post-Civil War reform movements Civil rights movement Origins of the civil rights movement Civil rights movement Black Power movement Post -- civil rights era New Great Migration Culture Studies Art Business history Black conductors Black mecca Black schools Black colleges and universities Juneteenth Kwanzaa Literature Museums Music Neighborhoods Religion Black church Black theology Nation of Islam Political movements Afrocentrism Black Power Anarchism Capitalism Conservatism Leftism Nationalism Populism Black Panther Party Garveyism Pan-Africanism Back - to - Africa movement Civic / economic groups Rights organizations National Association for the Advancement of Colored People ( NAACP ) Southern Christian Leadership Conference ( SCLC ) Congress of Racial Equality ( CORE ) Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee ( SNCC ) National Urban League ( NUL ) Association for the Study of African American Life and History ( ASALH ) United Negro College Fund ( UNCF ) Thurgood Marshall College Fund National Black Chamber of Commerce ( NBCC ) National Pan-Hellenic Council ( NPHC ) National Council of Negro Women ( NCNW ) TransAfrica Forum Sports Negro league baseball Athletic associations and conferences Central ( CIAA ) Southern ( SIAC ) Mid-Eastern ( MEAC ) Southwestern ( SWAC ) Ethnic subdivisions Americo - Liberians Black Indians ( Seminoles ) Black Southerners Gullah Igbo Languages English ( American ) ( African American ) Gullah ( Afro - Seminole Creole ) Louisiana Creole French Diaspora Nova Scotia Liberia Sierra Leone France Lists African Americans African - American firsts First mayors US state firsts Landmark African - American legislation African American - related topics Topics related to Black and African people Category : African - American society African American portal African Americans are a demographic minority in the United States. The first achievements by African Americans in various fields historically marked footholds, often leading to more widespread cultural change. The shorthand phrase for this is `` breaking the color barrier ''. The world of sports generally is invoked in the frequently cited example of Jackie Robinson, who was the first African American of the modern era to become a Major League Baseball player, ending 60 years of segregated Negro Leagues. Contents 1 19th century 1.1 1878 1.2 1884 1.3 1899 2 20th century 2.1 1902 2.2 1904 2.3 1908 2.4 1910s 2.4. 1 1916 2.4. 2 1917 2.5 1920s 2.5. 1 1920 2.5. 2 1921 2.5. 3 1924 2.5. 4 1929 2.6 1940s 2.6. 1 1947 2.6. 2 1948 2.6. 3 1949 2.7 1950s 2.7. 1 1950 2.7. 2 1951 2.7. 3 1953 2.7. 4 1956 2.7. 5 1959 2.8 1960s 2.8. 1 1961 2.8. 2 1962 2.8. 3 1963 2.8. 4 1964 2.8. 5 1964 2.8. 6 1966 2.8. 7 1967 2.8. 8 1968 2.9 1970s 2.9. 1 1970 2.9. 2 1972 2.9. 3 1975 2.9. 4 1977 2.9. 5 1979 2.10 1980s 2.10. 1 1981 2.10. 2 1982 2.10. 3 1984 2.10. 4 1986 2.10. 5 1987 2.10. 6 1988 2.10. 7 1989 2.11 1990s 2.11. 1 1991 2.11. 2 1992 2.11. 3 1993 2.11. 4 1994 2.11. 5 1996 2.11. 6 1997 2.11. 7 1997 2.11. 8 1998 3 21st century 3.1 2002 3.2 2003 3.3 2004 3.4 2006 3.5 2007 3.6 2008 3.7 2009 3.8 2010s 3.9 2012 3.10 2013 3.10. 1 2014 3.10. 2 2015 3.10. 3 2018 4 Notes 5 References 19th century 1878 First African American baseball player in organized professional baseball : John W. `` Bud '' Fowler. 1884 First African American to play professional baseball at the major - league level : Moses Fleetwood Walker. ( See also : Jackie Robinson, 1947 ) 1899 First African American to achieve world championship in any sport : Marshall `` Major '' Taylor, for 1 - mile track cycling 20th century 1902 First African American professional basketball player : Harry Lew ( New England Professional Basketball League ) ( See also : 1950 ) First African American boxing champion, Joe Gans a lightweight 1904 First African American to participate in the Olympic Games, and first to win a medal : George Poage ( two bronze medals ) 1908 First African American heavyweight boxing champion : Jack Johnson First African American Olympic gold medal winner : John Taylor ( Track and field medley relay team ). ( See also : DeHart Hubbard, 1924 ) 1910s 1916 First African American football player to play in a Rose Bowl game : Fritz Pollard, Brown University 1917 First African American woman to win a major sports title : Lucy Diggs Slowe, American Tennis Association 1920s 1920 First African American NFL football players : Fritz Pollard ( Akron Pros ) and Bobby Marshall ( Rock Island Independents ) 1921 First African American NFL football coach : Fritz Pollard, co-head coach, Akron Pros, while continuing to play running back 1924 First African American to win individual Olympic gold medal : DeHart Hubbard ( Long jump, 1924 Summer Olympics ). ( See also : John Taylor, 1908 ) 1929 First African American sportscaster : Sherman `` Jocko '' Maxwell ( WNJR, Newark, New Jersey ) 1940s 1947 First African American Major League Baseball player of the modern era : Jackie Robinson ( Brooklyn Dodgers ). ( See also : Moses Fleetwood Walker, 1884 ) First African American consensus college All - American basketball player : Don Barksdale 1948 First African American woman to win an Olympic gold medal : Alice Coachman First African American on an Olympic basketball team and first African - American Olympic gold medal basketball winner : Don Barksdale, in the 1948 Summer Olympics First African American to design and construct a professional golf course : Bill Powell 1949 First African American to win an MVP award in Major League Baseball : Jackie Robinson ( Brooklyn Dodgers, National League ) ( See also : Elston Howard, 1963 ) 1950s 1950 First African American woman to compete on the world tennis tour : Althea Gibson First African American NBA basketball players : Nat `` Sweetwater '' Clifton ( New York Knicks ), Chuck Cooper ( Boston Celtics ), and Earl Lloyd ( Washington Capitols ). Note : Harold Hunter was the first to sign an NBA contract, signing with the Washington Capitols on April 26, 1950. However, he was cut from the team during training camp and did not play professionally. ( See also : 1902 ) 1951 First African American named to the College Football Hall of Fame : Duke Slater, University of Iowa ( 1918 -- 1921 ) First Africa American quarterback to become a regular starter for a professional football team : Bernie Custis ( Hamilton Tiger - Cats ) 1953 First African American basketball player to play in the NBA All - Star Game : Don Barksdale in the 1953 NBA All - Star Game First African American quarterback to play in the National Football League during the modern ( post-World War II ) era : Willie Thrower ( Chicago Bears ) 1956 First African American to break the color barrier in a bowl game in the Deep South : Bobby Grier, ( Pittsburgh Panthers in the 1956 Sugar Bowl ) First African American Wimbledon tennis champion : Althea Gibson ( doubles, with Englishwoman Angela Buxton ) ; also first African American to win a Grand Slam event ( French Open ). ( See also : Arthur Ashe, 1968 ; Serena Williams, 2003 ) First African American to win the Cy Young Award as the top pitcher in Major League Baseball, in the award 's inaugural year : Don Newcombe ( Brooklyn Dodgers ) 1959 First African American to win a major national player of the year award in college basketball : Oscar Robertson, USBWA Player of the Year ( in that award 's inaugural year ) 1960s 1961 First African American to win the Heisman Trophy : Ernie Davis First African American join the PGA Tour : Charlie Sifford 1962 First African American to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame : Jackie Robinson ( See also : Satchel Paige, 1971 ) First African - American coach in Major League Baseball : John Jordan `` Buck '' O'Neil ( Chicago Cubs ) 1963 First African American to be named American League MVP : Elston Howard ( New York Yankees ) ( See also : Jackie Robinson, 1949 ) First African Americans inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame : New York Renaissance, inducted as a team. ( See also : Bob Douglas, 1972 ; Bill Russell, 1975 ; Clarence Gaines, 1982 ) First African American to win a NASCAR Grand National event : Wendell Scott. See also 2015. 1964 First African - American baseball player to be named the Major League Baseball World Series MVP : Bob Gibson, St. Louis Cardinals 1964 First African - American to join the Ladies Professional Golf Association Althea Gibson 1966 First African - American coach in the National Basketball Association : Bill Russell ( Boston Celtics ) First African - American Major League Baseball umpire : Emmett Ashford First African - American NFL broadcaster : Lowell W. Perry ( CBS, on Pittsburgh Steelers games ) ( See also : 1957 ) 1967 First African American to win a PGA Tour event : Charlie Sifford ( 1967 Greater Hartford Open Invitational ) First African American to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame : Emlen Tunnell 1968 First African - American man to win a Grand Slam tennis event : Arthur Ashe ( US Open ) ( See also : Althea Gibson, 1956 ; Serena Williams, 2003 ) First African American to start at quarterback in the modern era of professional football : Marlin Briscoe ( Denver Broncos, AFL ) First African - American coach to win NBA Championship : Bill Russell 1970s 1970 First African - American basketball player to win the NBA All Star MVP, the NBA Finals MVP, & the NBA MVP all in the same season : Willis Reed ( New York Knicks ) First African - American NCAA Division I basketball coach : Will Robinson ( Illinois State University ) 1972 First African - American National Basketball Association general manager : Wayne Embry First African American inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame : Team - owner and coach Bob Douglas, in the category of `` contributor '' ( See also : New York Renaissance, 1963 ; player Bill Russell, 1975 ; coach Clarence Gaines, 1982 ) First African American inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player : Bill Russell ( See also : New York Renaissance, 1963 ; Bob Douglas, 1972 ; Clarence Gaines, 1982 ) First African - American manager in Major League Baseball : Frank Robinson ( Cleveland Indians ) First African American to play in a men 's major golf championship : Lee Elder ( The Masters ) First African American to be named Super Bowl MVP in NFL : Franco Harris ( Pittsburgh Steelers ). Of mixed heritage, Harris was also first Italian American to win the award. 1977 First African - American Major League Baseball general manager : Bill Lucas ( Atlanta Braves ) 1979 First African - American head football coach in Division I-A : Willie Jeffries ( Wichita State ) 1980s 1981 First African American to play in the NHL : Val James ( Buffalo Sabres ) 1982 First African American inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach : Clarence Gaines ( See also : New York Renaissance, 1963 ; Bob Douglas, 1972 ; Bill Russell, 1975 ) 1984 First African - American coach to win the NCAA Men 's Division I Basketball Championship : John Thompson ( Georgetown ) 1986 First African - American Formula One racecar driver : Willy T. Ribbs ( See also : Ribbs, 1991 ) First African American to complete a solo sailing circumnavigation of the world via the Suez and Panama Canals ( See also : 1992 ) 1988 First African - American NFL referee : Johnny Grier First African American to win a medal at the Winter Olympics ( a bronze in figure skating ) : Debi Thomas First African - American quarterback to start ( and win ) in the Super Bowl : Doug Williams 1989 First African - American NFL coach of the modern era : Art Shell, Los Angeles Raiders 1990s 1991 First African American to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 auto race : Willy T. Ribbs ( See also : Ribbs, 1986 ) First African - American NBA Coach of the Year : Don Chaney ( Houston Rockets ) 1992 First African - American Major League Baseball manager to reach ( and win ) the World Series : Cito Gaston ( Toronto Blue Jays ) 1992 World Series First African American to sail solo around the world following the Age of Sail route around the southern tips of South America ( Cape Horn ) and Africa ( Cape of Good Hope ), avoiding the Panama and Suez Canals : Bill Pinkney ( See also : 1987 ) 1993 First African - American to serve as home plate umpire for World Series game : Charlie Williams for Game 4 of the 1993 World Series 1994 First African American to win the United States Amateur Championship : Tiger Woods First African - American MLB general manager to win the World Series : Bob Watson ( New York Yankees ), 1996 World Series 1997 1997 First African American to win a men 's major golf championship : Tiger Woods ( The Masters ) First African - American UFC champion : Maurice Smith 1998 First African American to play in the Presidents Cup : Tiger Woods 21st century 2002 First African - American Winter Olympic gold medal winner : Vonetta Flowers ( two - woman bobsleigh ). ( See also : Shani Davis, 2006 ) First African American to become majority owner of a U.S. major sports league team : Robert L. Johnson ( Charlotte Bobcats, NBA ) ( see also 2001 ) First African American to hold the # 1 rank in tennis : Venus Williams First African American to hold the year - end # 1 rank in tennis : Serena Williams First African American to be named year - end world champion by the International Tennis Federation : Serena Williams First African - American Arena Football League head coach to win ArenaBowl : Darren Arbet ( San Jose SaberCats ), ArenaBowl XVI First African - American general manager in the National Football League : Ozzie Newsome ( Baltimore Ravens ) 2003 First African American to win a Career Grand Slam in tennis : Serena Williams ( See also : Althea Gibson, 1956 ; Arthur Ashe, 1968 ) First African - American NBA general manager to win the NBA Finals : Joe Dumars ( Detroit Pistons ), 2004 NBA Finals First African - American Canadian Football League head coach to reach ( and win ) the Grey Cup : Pinball Clemons ( Toronto Argonauts ), 92nd Grey Cup First African - American inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame : Charlie Sifford 2006 First African - American individual Winter Olympic gold medal winner : Shani Davis ( men 's 1,000 meter speed skating ) ( See also : Vonetta Flowers, 2002 ) 2007 First African - American NFL head coaches to reach the Super Bowl : Lovie Smith and Tony Dungy, Super Bowl XLI First African - American NFL head coach to win the Super Bowl : Tony Dungy ( Indianapolis Colts ), Super Bowl XLI 2008 First African American to referee a Super Bowl game : Mike Carey ( Super Bowl XLII ) First African - American NFL general manager to win the Super Bowl : Jerry Reese ( New York Giants ), Super Bowl XLII 2009 First African - American doubles team to be named year - end world champion by the International Tennis Federation : Serena and Venus Williams 2010s 2012 First African - American gymnast to ever win the women 's artistic individual all - around at the Olympic Games : Gabby Douglas 2013 First African American gymnast to ever win the women 's artistic individual all - around at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships : Simone Biles 2014 First African - American player ever named to the USA Curtis Cup Team : Mariah Stackhouse 2015 First African American to be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame : Wendell Scott First African - American commissioner of a major North American sports league : Jeffrey Orridge, Canadian Football League 2018 First African American to place in the highest finishing position for the Daytona 500 : Darrell Wallace Jr. Darrell Wallace Jr. finished 2nd in his first Daytona 500. Notes Jump up ^ Clifton was the first to sign an NBA contract and subsequently play, Cooper was the first to be drafted by an NBA team, and Lloyd was the first to play in an NBA regular - season game because his team 's opening game was one day before the others. Jump up ^ In 1998, the award would be renamed the Oscar Robertson Trophy after its first recipient. Jump up ^ At the time, the NCAA had not yet adopted its three - division system. Illinois State was in the NCAA University Division, which became Division I in 1973. The NCAA retroactively considers University Division members to have been Division I members. Jump up ^ The NHL had fielded black players for more than 20 years, with the first being Willie O'Ree in 1958, but all previous black players were Black Canadians and not African Americans. In 1996, Mike Grier ( Edmonton Oilers ) became the first to have been both born and exclusively trained in the U.S., per Allen, Kevin ( January 14, 2008 ). `` Willie O'Ree still blazing way in NHL 50 years later ''. USA Today. Archived from the original on October 26, 2012. Retrieved June 23, 2014. Jump up ^ Lewis Hamilton became the first black Formula One racer in 2006, but he is a British citizen of Grenadan ancestry, and not an African American. Ribbs did not compete in a race, but drove a Formula One car professionally in January 1986 as a tester for the Brabham -- BMW at Estoril, Portugal. ^ Jump up to : Woods ' mixed ancestry -- 1⁄4 Chinese, 1⁄4 Thai, 1⁄4 African - American, 1⁄8 white, and 1⁄8 Native American -- also makes him the first Asian American to achieve this feat. He is also the first of only four golfers of primarily non-European descent to win a men 's major, with the others being Vijay Singh ( an Indian Fijian ), Michael Campbell ( a Māori from New Zealand ), and Y.E. Yang ( South Korean ). Jump up ^ Announced as Bobcats owner in December 2002, although team did not begin play until 2004. Jump up ^ Smith and Dungy both reached this milestone on the same day, although Smith was technically the first due solely to scheduling. The NFC and AFC Championship Games are always held on the same day. In the playoffs that followed the 2006 NFL season, the NFC game was played first. References Jump up ^ Juguo, Zhang ( 2001 ). W.E.B. Du Bois : The Quest for the Abolition of the Color Line. Routledge. ISBN 978 - 0 - 415 - 93087 - 1 Jump up ^ Herbst, Philip H ( 1997 ). The Color of Words : An Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Ethnic Bias in the United States. Intercultural Press. p. 57. ISBN 978 - 1 - 877864 - 97 - 1 Jump up ^ Sailes, Gary Alan ( 1998 ). `` Jackie Robinson : Breaking the Color Barrier in Team Sports ''. African Americans in Sport : Contemporary Themes, Transaction Publishers. p. 8. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7658 - 0440 - 2 Jump up ^ Hoffbeck, Steven R. ( 2005 ). Swinging For The Fences : Black Baseball In Minnesota. Minnesota Historical Society. p. 14. ISBN 978 - 0 - 87351 - 517 - 7. Retrieved 4 July 2013. Jump up ^ Gendin, Sidney ( 1999 ). `` Moses Fleetwood Walker : Jackie Robinson 's accidental predecessor ''. In Joseph Dorinson. Jackie Robinson : Race, Sports, and the American Dream. Joram Warmund. Armonk, N.Y. : M.E. Sharpe. pp. 22 -- 29. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7656 - 3338 - 5. Retrieved 29 May 2013. Jump up ^ Aaseng, Nathan ( 2003 - 01 - 01 ). `` Taylor, Marshall Walker ''. African - American Athletes. Facts on File library of American history. New York : Infobase Publishing. p. 218. ISBN 1438107781. Jump up ^ Grasso, John ( 2010 - 11 - 15 ). `` Lew, Harry Haskell `` Bucky '' ``. Historical Dictionary of Basketball. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0810875063. Jump up ^ Conner, Floyd ( 31 October 2001 ). The Olympic 's Most Wanted : The Top 10 Book of the Olympics ' Gold Medal Gaffes, Improbable Triumphs, and Other Oddities. Potomac Books, Inc. p. 58. ISBN 978 - 1 - 59797 - 397 - 7. Retrieved 1 June 2013. Jump up ^ Smith, Charles R. ( 22 June 2010 ). Black Jack : The Ballad of Jack Johnson. Roaring Brook Press. ISBN 978 - 1 - 59643 - 473 - 8. Retrieved 1 June 2013. Jump up ^ Potter 2002, p. 345 -- 346. Jump up ^ Smith, Frederick D. ( 2009 - 01 - 01 ). `` Pollard, Fritz ''. In Jessie Carney Smith, Linda T. Wynn ( eds. ). Freedom Facts and Firsts : 400 Years of the African American Civil Rights Experience. Visible Ink Press. ISBN 1578591929. CS1 maint : Uses editors parameter ( link ) Jump up ^ Miller, Carroll L. ; Pruitt - Logan, Anne S. ( 2012 ). Faithful to the Task at Hand : The Life of Lucy Diggs Slowe. Albany : State University of New York Press. p. 2. ISBN 978 - 1 - 4384 - 4260 - 0. Retrieved June 2, 2013. ^ Jump up to : Wilson, Joseph ; David Addams ( 2006 ). `` Football ''. In Paul Finkelman ( ed. ). Encyclopedia of African American history, 1619 -- 1895. 1. New York : Oxford University Press. pp. 234 -- 237. ISBN 0195167775. CS1 maint : Uses editors parameter ( link ) Jump up ^ `` William Dehart Hubbard First Black to Win Gold in an Individual Event ''. Jet. 90 ( 10 ). 1996 - 07 - 22. pp. 60 -- 61. ISSN 0021 - 5996. Jump up ^ Weber, Bruce ( July 19, 2008 ). `` Sherman L. Maxwell, 100, Sportscaster and Writer, Dies ''. The New York Times. Retrieved August 13, 2008. Jump up ^ Brown, Nikki L.M. ; Stentiford, Barry M. ( 30 September 2008 ). The Jim Crow Encyclopedia : Greenwood Milestones in African American History. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 693. ISBN 978 - 0 - 313 - 34181 - 6. Retrieved 8 June 2013. ^ Jump up to : Parks, Gregory ; Bradley, Stefan M. ( 2002 ). Alpha Phi Alpha : A Legacy of Greatness, The Demands of Transcendence. Lexington, Kentucky : University Press of Kentucky. p. 361. ISBN 978 - 0 - 8131 - 3421 - 5. Retrieved 8 June 2013. Cite error : Invalid < ref > tag ; name `` ParksBradley2012 '' defined multiple times with different content ( see the help page ). Jump up ^ Smith 2002, p. 700. Jump up ^ Rosenberg, Aaron ( 2013 ). 42 : The Jackie Robinson Story : The Movie Novel. Scholastic Inc. p. 133. ISBN 978 - 0 - 545 - 54113 - 8. Retrieved 24 June 2013. Jump up ^ Harris, Cecil ( 2007 ). Charging the net : a history of Blacks in tennis from Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe to the Williams sisters. Chicago : Ivan R. Dee. ISBN 9781566637145. Jump up ^ `` 1950 - 51 Season Overview : NBA 's Color Line is Broken ''. National Basketball Association. Archived from the original on March 20, 2015. Retrieved March 9, 2013. Jump up ^ Howell, Dave. `` Six Who Paved the Way ''. National Basketball Association. Archived from the original on April 24, 2013. Jump up ^ Wagner, Jeremy. `` 9. Firsts For African - Americans ''. ESPN. Archived from the original on April 24, 2013. Jump up ^ McDowell, Sam ( March 9, 2013 ). `` Sumner grad Harold Hunter, first African - American to sign with NBA team, dies at 86 ''. Kansas City Star. Kansas City, Missouri. Archived from the original on March 12, 2013. Retrieved 2013 - 03 - 30. Jump up ^ Smith 2003, p. 676. Jump up ^ `` Meet Bernie Custis, football 's first African - American quarterback ''. Toronto Star. Toronto. August 12, 2011. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved 2015 - 04 - 12. Jump up ^ `` Thrower was first black QB to play in NFL ''. Associated Press. ESPN Classic. February 22, 2002. Archived from the original on November 10, 2013. Retrieved May 16, 2010. Jump up ^ Thamel, Pete ( January 1, 2006 ). `` Grier Integrated a Game and Earned the World 's Respect ''. The New York Times. Retrieved April 10, 2011. Jump up ^ Company, Johnson Publishing ( 2003 - 10 - 13 ). `` First Black Tennis Champion Althea Gibson Dies in East Orange, Nj, at 76 ''. Jet. 104 ( 16 ). pp. 51 -- 52. ISSN 0021 - 5996. Jump up ^ Lew Freedman ( 2007 ). `` Don Newcombe ''. African American Pioneers of Baseball : A Biographical Encyclopedia. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 99 -- 108. ISBN 9780313338519. Jump up ^ `` A Pioneer 's Tribute Is Both a Reward and a Reminder : Charlie Sifford Is Given the Presidential Medal of Freedom ''. The New York Times. Jump up ^ `` Postseason World Series MVP Awards & All - Star Game MVP Award Winners ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on March 15, 2015. Jump up ^ Richman, Evan ( June 10, 1992 ). `` Sailor Makes Solo Voyage Around Globe ''. The New York Times. Retrieved 10 July 2015. Jump up ^ `` Mariah Stackhouse -- GoStanford.com -- Stanford University ''. gostanford.com. Jump up ^ Beth Ann Nichols. `` Stanford 's Mariah Stackhouse keeps breaking barriers as Curtis Cup begins ''. Golfweek.com. Jump up ^ Pennell, Jay ( January 2, 2015 ). `` Remembering Wendell Scott 's lone NASCAR win 51 years later ''. Fox Sports. Archived from the original on April 24, 2015. Jump up ^ Rush, Curtis ( 17 March 2015 ). `` CFL names Jeffrey Orridge as new commissioner ''. Toronto Star. Retrieved 17 March 2015. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_African-American_sports_firsts&oldid=841589885 '' Categories : Lists of firsts African American - related lists African - American sports history Hidden categories : Pages with reference errors CS1 maint : Uses editors parameter Pages with duplicate reference names All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from July 2009 Articles with unsourced statements from July 2015 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Languages Add links This page was last edited on 16 May 2018, at 19 : 19. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: who was the first african american to play professional sports
Answer: John W. "Bud" Fowler