February rings in Black History Month, which is a very important time of reflection for American culture.
In 2016, sports leagues are very diverse as players of all shapes, sizes and races make an impact on the field, court, ice and every other playing surface imaginable. It's this blend of backgrounds and cultures that helps make the wide world of sports thrive and achieve such national acclaim.
Times weren't always this great, however, especially for black athletes. It took some courageous men and women to break the color barrier against troubling adversity to help sports become the great phenomenon they are today.
In honor of Black History Month, here's a look at the athletes that broke the color barrier in every major sports league. To view this article in slideshow form, CLICK START at the top right of this page.
NHL: Willie O'Ree
Known as the "Jackie Robinson" of ice hockey, O'Ree was the first black athlete to ever lace up his skates and play in the NHL. The Canadian winger played hockey from 1959-79, but was only in the NHL for a short time, though the lasting impact he made was tremendous. O'Ree appeared in 45 games for the Bruins, notching four goals and 10 assists for 14 points.
Matt and I met Willie O'Ree tonight. This was a life-long dream for Matt. He is STILL star struck an hour later. pic.twitter.com/50eIyODRg9
— Caroline (@carolianne_) February 1, 2016
NBA: Nathaniel Clifton
Nicknamed "Sweetwater," Clifton was one of the first African Americans to ever play in the NBA. Clifton, who passed away in 1990, played in the league from 1950-58, spending time with the Knicks and Pistons. He played in 544 games in his career and put up 5,444 points, an average of 10 points per game.
10/22/1950 IN HISTORY NATHANIEL CLIFTON BECOMES 1 OF THE 1ST BLACK PLAYERS IN THE #NBA #BlackTwitter #NYKNICKS #NBA pic.twitter.com/JhCXzQLHoL — Diane Gardner (@abronxchick) October 22, 2014
NFL: Woody Strode & Kenny Washington
As Cam Newton prepares to take the field for the biggest game of his life for Super Bowl 50 this Sunday, he has Strode and Washington to thank for helping pave the way. During a time when the NFL had a two decade-long gap between allowing African Americans to play in the league, Strode and Washington changed all that in 1946 by joining the L.A. Rams after spending time with the UCLA Bruins. Strode appeared in just 10 games, having four catches for 37 yards with no touchdowns, while Washington eventually played in 27, netting 140 carries for 859 yards with eight touchdowns. Along with these two, Bill Willis and Marion Motley helped pave the way.
Kenny Washington, Woody Strode, Bill Willis, and Marion Motley are the Jackie Robinson's of football pic.twitter.com/wsXQK1y0E9
— RTC_Unlimited (@RTC_Unlimited) February 3, 2016
MLB: Jackie Robinson
Robinson is easily the most recognizable person to ever break the color barrier in professional sports as in 1947 he became the first black player to play in the MLB, winning Rookie of the Year honors for the Dodgers in the National League that year. The early success was just a microcosm of his career, as Robinson won the NL MVP and batting title in 1949, won the World Series in 1965 and earned six All-Star nods. He was enshrined in Cooperstown in 1962 as a first-ballot Hall of Famer and had his number retired across baseball in 1997.
Above anything else, I hate to lose. -Jackie Robinson pic.twitter.com/lsrj7G36Q7 — Baseball Quotes (@BaseballQuotes1) January 31, 2016
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