“I was all-state in four sports in New Jersey, but sometimes I couldn't get served at a restaurant two blocks from my high school. There were no job opportunities then... the only thing a black youth could aspire to be was a bellboy or a pullman or an elevator operator, or, maybe, a teacher. There was a time when all we had was black baseball.” TwoSometimesStatesSchoolJobsOpportunitySportsBlackTeacherFourYouthHigh SchoolBaseballBlockRestaurantsAspireJerseyNew JerseyElevatorsOperatorsAll StateJob OpportunitiesBlack Youth Author:Monte Irvin
“Joe Louis and I were the first modern national sports figures who were black... But neither of us could do national advertising because the South wouldn't buy it. That was the social stigma we lived under.” FirstsSocialSportsBlackModernFiguresSouthAdvertisingStigma Author:Jesse Owens
“I consider myself a pretty rounded guy. I've done pretty elite things in business, sport and academics and all of a sudden I woke up one morning and I'm a 'big, black, British, gay guy'. That was frustrating at times.” DoneBigsGuySportsBlackMorningGayBritishElitesFrustratingGay Guy Author:John Amaechi
“Well, I couldn't play an instrument. I'd just stand up front and announce the numbers. They had me sing a little, but that was a horrible mistake. I can't carry a tune in a bucket. We played black theaters and nightclubs all over hell. One-nighters. Apollo Theater in Harlem and the Earle Theater in Philly - That was big time for blacks.” WellsLittlesI CanPlayBigsSportsBlackNumbersMistakeHellFrontsTheaterInstrumentsAthleteHorribleTunesApolloBucketsHarlemNightclubsHorrible Mistakes Author:Jesse Owens
“In the space of less than seven days, I attended a track meet in Boston, flew from there to Bowling Green for the National Jaycees, then to Rochester for the blind, Buffalo for another track meet, New York to shoot a film called The Black Athlete, Miami for Ford Motor Company, back up to New York for 45 minutes to deliver a speech, then into L. A. for another the same night.” FilmNightSportsBlackSpaceCompanyMinutesNew YorkSpeechBlindGreenSevenAthleteTrackBostonMotorFlewMiamiBowlingBuffaloSeven DaysRochesterFord Motor Author:Jesse Owens
“Either black people end up being the best in sports, or else it's show business. You know, we all got rhythm.” PeopleKnowsEndsShowsSportsBlackRhythmBeing The BestBlack PeopleShow Business Author:Diana Ross
“When a sports movie really works, it gets you on all levels, because the stakes are high. It's black and white. It's win or lose.” WinningSportsBlackLosesWhiteLevelsWorking ItStakesBlack And WhiteWin Or LoseSports Movie Author:Carla Gugino
“For watching sports, I tend to drink Guinness; early evenings always begin well with a Grey Goose and tonic with plenty of lime; and on a cold winters night, theres nothing quite like a glass of Black Maple Hill... an absolute peach of a bourbon.” WellsNightSportsBlackColdDrinkAbsolutesWinterGlassesEveningPlentyHillsGreyGeesePeachesMapleBourbonLimesWinter ColdGuinnessWinter NightWatching Sports Author:Martin Bashir
“Golf is one of the few sports where a white man can dress like a black pimp and not look bad.” MenLooksSportsBlackWhiteDressesGolfWhite ManPimp Author:Robin Williams
“People say that it was degrading for an Olympic champion to run against a horse, but what was I supposed to do? I had four gold medals, but you can't eat four gold medals. There was no television, no big advertising, no endorsements then. Not for a black man, anyway.” PeopleMenBigsRunningSportsBlackFourTelevisionGoldHorseAdvertisingAfrican AmericanChampionBlack PeopleMedalEntertainersAthleticsGold MedalsDegradingTrack And FieldEndorsements Author:Jesse Owens