By Marie Schulte- Bockum
Since the first Olympic Games debuted in Athens, Greece in 1896, the gathering of the world’s dominant athletes has become a global event. But with historic discrimination and fewer opportunities for elite training, Black athletes faced immense challenges to compete. Nonetheless, starting in the early 20th century, African American athletes began competing in the Games—and shattering records.
Though Olympians like Jesse Owens, Carl Lewis and Simon Biles are household names, there are many African American athletes who broke barriers in the Winter and Summer Games. Below are six Black American Olympian pioneers.
1. John Baxter Taylor
U.S. Olympian John Baxter Taylor in a 1908 portrait. Taylor won gold at the 1908 London Olympic Games as a member of America’s 1600-meter (one mile) relay team.
The History Collection / Alamy Stock Photo
John Baxter Taylor, a student and runner at the University of Pennsylvania, became Dr. Taylor, a veterinarian, in 1908—the same summer he competed in the London Games. “He had a clean-cut business way of covering the ground, with a length of stride seldom seen today, which was firmly impressed on one’s mind,” wrote the Pittsburgh Courier.
Taylor was the first African American athlete to win an Olympic gold medal, triumphing in the 1600-meter relay race at the 1908 Games. Tragically, the damp, cold climate in London took a toll on the 25-year-old’s body. While abroad, he developed a case of typhoid-pneumonia so severe that it proved fatal just months after the Olympics.