Arthur Robert Ashe Jr. is an African American tennis player, journalist, activist, educator, and an unforgettable part of black history. He was born on July 10, 1943, to Arthur Sr. and Mattie Cunningham Ashe in Richmond, Virginia. Before her mother’s death from a stroke caused by undiagnosed hypertensive vascular disease, she taught him the importance of education, which made him a successful student. He started playing tennis at Brook Field, where his father worked as a caretaker, and demonstrated outstanding skills at the early stage of his life. His tennis career was sponsored by his father. He was coached by Dr. Walter Johnson, a trainer of golfers.
Arthur Ashe was probably one of the most accomplished tennis players in history. Ashe won the under 12 and below American Tennis Association National championship at age 10 in 1953. He competed in the Maryland boys’ title in 1957. In 1960, Arthur Ashe was recognized as a high school student-athlete. He made the 1963 U.S. Davis Cup team, becoming the first black player to be ever selected and went on to win several titles from 1965 to 1970.
He won the NCAA singles and doubles titles while attending UCLA on a tennis scholarship in 1965. He had an intelligent approach to the game and stands out as an excellent player. Ashe won three Grand Slam singles titles during his career: the US Open in 1968, the Australian Open in 1970, and Wimbledon in 1975. His success has made him one of the greatest in Black History Online.
Regardless of how you feel inside, always try to look like a winner. Even if you are behind, a sustained look of control and confidence can give you a mental edge that results in victory
Arthur Ashe
Angelou worked as a fry cook, sex worker, nightclub performer, and cast member of the opera “Porgy and Bess” before becoming a writer and poet. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, and several books of poetry over the course of her career. Her first autobiography, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” published in 1969, tells the story of her life up to age 17 and is considered a classic of American literature.
Aside from his tennis greatness, Arthur Ashe’s legacy lives on. He is remembered as an advocate of civil rights who made significant contributions to support social justice and educational pursuits. He is a critical success point in America’s fight for civil rights and race.
He maintained his struggle against apartheid and, in 1983, joined the founding group of Artists and Athletes Against Apartheid. Between 1967 and 1995, he published eight books on subjects including education, tennis, and African-American accomplishments.
As an acknowledged sports star, he spoke out on diverse issues, such as the fight against racism and the right to education. He wrote eight books covering topics such as tennis, education, and African-American achievement between 1967 and 1995.
He became an ambassador for HIV/AIDS awareness, among others. He was infected with HIV by blood transfusion during a heart surgery and was diagnosed in 1983. Therefore, he became an outstanding activist in the field of AIDS prevention till the end of his days.
He established the Arthur Ashe Foundation for Cancer Prevention through Care and the Arthur Ashe Institute for Medical Care in the city before succumbing to AIDs related pneumonia at forty-nine years old on the sixth day of February 1993.
Education had become something that Ashe was also passionate about. He founded the National Junior Tennis League (NJTL), offering both tennis and educational opportunities to underprivileged children. He wrote various books, including “A Hard Road to Glory,” about the history of blacks in sports.
Ashe’s legacy is not limited to his tennis playing and activism. He is also remembered as an icon in African-American history and a motivational speaker who offered words about achieving success and courage. Ashe’s body was buried at the Governor’s Mansion in his hometown of Richmond.
You learn about equality in history and civics, but you find out life is not really like that.
Arthur Ashe