the American Tennis Association, the nation's oldest African-American sports organization"
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1365/is_n2_v25/ai_15752092/
"One of the first black players to draw national attention to the ATA was Ora Washington, who dominated the women's division with eight titles in the 1930s. Her unique style was marked by blazing speed, along with a little half-swing with the racquet held high up on the grip. Washington's acclaim was accompanied by the Roosevelt-era construction of hundreds of public courts for future urban recreational use.
Of the many unrealized tennis talents, uncoached African-Americans from the pre-World War II era, the best may have been Jimmy McDaniel. With an aggressive serve-and-volley game honed on the cement courts of Los Angeles, McDaniels's reputation and ATA dominance earned him a landmark 1940 crossover match at the Cosmopolitan Club in Harlem with 1938 Grand Slam winner Don Budge. Although McDaniels was overmatched that day 6-1, 6-2, the exhibition nonetheless foresaw a not-too-distant future when the color barrier in tennis would drop.
That barrier had initially been challenged in 1929 when two ATA standouts, Reginald Weir and Gerald Norman Jr., were denied entry to a United States Lawn Tennis Association (now the USTA) tournament. Eighteen more years of segregated competitive tennis ensured, followed by the historic appearance of ATA junior champ Oscar Johnson at USLTA's national indoor juniors in 1947. Johnson, too was stopped at the door, but when he threatened to take legal action, the USLTA capitulated."
1.What do you history buffs know about these unheralded champions before and comtemporary to Gibson male or female.
2. Any undiscovered Jackie Robinsons in those events?
3. Did Europe have a segregated tour or did they allow blacks in RG, the German, Otalian etc?
2. How good were these players and would they have had some grand slam/ pro tourney caliber men or women who might well have taken some sets/matches/tourneys from some of the players wiht some matches under their belts, we now call greats?
another interesting read on black league players
http://www.beautyman.com/ITF/history/blackhistory.html
Well now, there evidently were a pair of sisters important to tennis history and their names were not Venus or Serena
http://www.answers.com/topic/margaret-and-matilda-roumania-peters
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1365/is_n2_v25/ai_15752092/
"One of the first black players to draw national attention to the ATA was Ora Washington, who dominated the women's division with eight titles in the 1930s. Her unique style was marked by blazing speed, along with a little half-swing with the racquet held high up on the grip. Washington's acclaim was accompanied by the Roosevelt-era construction of hundreds of public courts for future urban recreational use.
Of the many unrealized tennis talents, uncoached African-Americans from the pre-World War II era, the best may have been Jimmy McDaniel. With an aggressive serve-and-volley game honed on the cement courts of Los Angeles, McDaniels's reputation and ATA dominance earned him a landmark 1940 crossover match at the Cosmopolitan Club in Harlem with 1938 Grand Slam winner Don Budge. Although McDaniels was overmatched that day 6-1, 6-2, the exhibition nonetheless foresaw a not-too-distant future when the color barrier in tennis would drop.
That barrier had initially been challenged in 1929 when two ATA standouts, Reginald Weir and Gerald Norman Jr., were denied entry to a United States Lawn Tennis Association (now the USTA) tournament. Eighteen more years of segregated competitive tennis ensured, followed by the historic appearance of ATA junior champ Oscar Johnson at USLTA's national indoor juniors in 1947. Johnson, too was stopped at the door, but when he threatened to take legal action, the USLTA capitulated."
1.What do you history buffs know about these unheralded champions before and comtemporary to Gibson male or female.
2. Any undiscovered Jackie Robinsons in those events?
3. Did Europe have a segregated tour or did they allow blacks in RG, the German, Otalian etc?
2. How good were these players and would they have had some grand slam/ pro tourney caliber men or women who might well have taken some sets/matches/tourneys from some of the players wiht some matches under their belts, we now call greats?
another interesting read on black league players
http://www.beautyman.com/ITF/history/blackhistory.html
Well now, there evidently were a pair of sisters important to tennis history and their names were not Venus or Serena
http://www.answers.com/topic/margaret-and-matilda-roumania-peters
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