Tag Archives: Althea Gibson

In 1940 census, Harlemite Althea Gibson Didn’t Exist

Posted on May 21, 2012 by | 7 Comments

It was on the streets of her Harlem neighborhood in the 1940s that teenager Althea Gibson began working on the tennis skills that would take her all the way to winning Wimbledon. Continue reading →

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Statue of Harlem’s Althea Gibson first black woman to win Wimbledon

Posted on March 29, 2012 by | 3 Comments

Mary Drayton was a wide-eyed 8-year-old sitting next to her aunt, tennis great Althea Gibson, as she was showered with ticker tape in the Canyon of Heroes in Lower Manhattan. Continue reading →

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Celebrating Harlem’s Althea Gibson

Posted on September 14, 2010 by | 2 Comments

Althea Gibson (August 25, 1927 – September 28, 2003) was a World No. 1 American sportswoman who became the first African-American woman to be a competitor on the world tennis tour and the first to win a Grand Slam title in 1956. She is sometimes referred to as “the Jackie Robinson of tennis” for breaking the “color barrier.” Gibson was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Born at 9:00 am EDT on August 25, 1927 in Silver, Clarendon County, South Carolina to Daniel and Annie Bell Gibson, Althea had two siblings, a brother, Daniel Jr. (known as “Bubba”), and a sister, Mildred.

She lived and work in Harlem inthe 1930′s. The young Althea Gibson became a member of the Harlem Cosmopolitan Tennis Club, a club for African American players, through donations raised for her membership and lessons. Continue reading →

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Community Helps Restore Harlem Tennis Court

Posted on December 27, 2009 by | 2 Comments

Cause

HW found this story of the Interactive One and Black Planet’s staff who recently lent a hand in helping restore the McCombs tennis court in Harlem on 150th Street and Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., (aka 7th Avenue), where Althea Gibson learned to play.

See what happened and how you can get involved in Harlem’s community service (like Harlem CARES).

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