Buzz
Jackie Robinson is renowned for breaking the color barrier in baseball with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. Yet, he was not the only athlete to impact the civil rights movement; many lesser-known figures also used their sports platform to advance social justice and equality.
10. Peter Norman
This Australian sprinter stunned the 1968 Olympics crowd by securing the silver in the 200-meter race. Norman finished behind American Tommie Smith and ahead of Smith’s teammate, John Carlos, setting up one of the most iconic moments in sports history. Smith and Carlos raised their fists in the Black Power Salute, each wearing black gloves. Though Norman is slightly off to the side in the photo, he played a pivotal role by suggesting Smith, who had both gloves on before the ceremony, hand the other glove to Carlos so both could participate in the salute.
Few realize that all three athletes—Smith, Carlos, and Norman—wore pins labeled “Olympic Project for Human Rights,” symbolizing a movement against racism in sports. Norman faced backlash in Australia for his solidarity, including being excluded from the 1972 Olympic team despite holding the fifth-fastest time globally. However, the image remains a powerful and enduring symbol of unity in the ongoing struggle for equality.
9. Dock Ellis
Dock Ellis was a true character, widely remembered for throwing a no-hitter while under the influence of LSD. Unfortunately, this fame often overshadows his significant contributions as a civil rights advocate during his playing days and as a drug and alcohol counselor after his career. He remained steadfast in his fight against inequality and began his activism early, even refusing to play in a high school game as a protest against his coach's racism.
Ellis was known for his outspoken nature and would not tolerate injustice. He once challenged manager Sparky Anderson to start him in the All-Star Game so he could face Vida Blue, claiming Anderson “wouldn’t pitch two brothers against each other.” Despite some on-field antics—such as tying the MLB record for being hit by pitches, an act he admitted was intentional—Ellis also dedicated himself to charitable causes, most notably co-founding the Black Athletes Foundation for Sickle Cell Research in 1971.
One of the many who recognized Ellis’s civil rights efforts was Jackie Robinson, who wrote a heartfelt letter praising Ellis and offering guidance on the challenges he would face. Footage from a recently released documentary about Ellis captures him reading the letter, which moved him to tears even years after receiving it.
8. The Boston Celtics & Bill Russell
Boston has long battled a reputation as a racist town, a stigma fueled perhaps by protests and riots following the desegregation of public schools in the 1970s. However, the Boston Celtics, the city’s famed basketball team, were ahead of their time on racial issues. In 1950, they became the first team in professional basketball to draft an African-American player, Chuck Cooper. Additionally, in 1966, they made history again by hiring Bill Russell as the first African-American coach in North American sports, during a period of national unrest.
Russell is widely regarded as one of the greatest athletes in history, but his impact extends beyond sports. He has been an outspoken advocate for civil rights and, more recently, has expressed support for gay athletes, drawing parallels between their struggles and those faced by Black athletes during his playing career. In 2010, Russell received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States' highest civilian honor, for his role as “an impassioned advocate of human rights.”
7. The Starting Five At Texas Western In 1966
Texas Western’s unexpected role in the civil rights movement came as a surprise to many of its players. They didn’t realize at the time that they were part of the first college basketball team to field an all-African-American starting lineup, and ultimately, the first to win an NCAA Championship. Many of the players later reflected on the game, realizing its significance only years after when strangers would approach them to thank them for breaking barriers that had previously existed.
The championship game, which was against Kentucky, gained even more meaning after legendary Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp allegedly stated that no all-black team could defeat his all-white squad. Pat Riley, who played for Kentucky, recalled how fiercely motivated Texas Western became after hearing Rupp’s comments, stating, “It was a violent game. I don’t mean there were any fights—but they were desperate, committed, and more motivated than we were.”
Ultimately, Texas Western’s coach, Don Haskins, didn’t select his starting five because of their race but rather despite it. He simply wanted the best chance to win, and these five players gave him that opportunity. His assistant, Moe Iba, confirmed this, saying, “The fact that he was doing something historic by playing five blacks probably never crossed Don’s mind. Hell, he’d have played five kids from Mars if they were his best five players.”
6. Stewart Udall, Secretary Of The Interior
As Secretary of the Interior under both John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson in the 1960s, Udall became deeply involved in the civil rights movement, notably through his intervention with the Washington Redskins, who refused to integrate. The team’s owner, George Marshall, was staunch in his stance, once claiming that the Redskins would “start signing Negroes when the Harlem Globetrotters start signing whites.” His position was widely criticized, with one columnist calling him “an anachronism, as out-of-date as the drop kick.”
Despite public outcry from the press and fans, the Washington Redskins remained the last NFL team to integrate—until Udall intervened. Given that the Redskins’ stadium was located on federal land, Udall warned Marshall that if the team continued to refuse integration, they would lose access to the stadium. In 1962, Marshall finally relented to Udall’s ultimatum, and the Redskins integrated their team.
5. Don Barksdale And His US Olympic Teammates
Barksdale made history as the first African American to represent the United States in Olympic basketball. His contribution to the civil rights movement was marked in 1948 in Kentucky, just one year after Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Barksdale’s defining moment occurred during an exhibition game when his teammates passed a water bottle down the bench, each taking a sip. After drinking, Barksdale handed it to “Shorty” Carpenter from Arkansas, who drank without hesitation.
What might seem like a trivial act today actually drew considerable attention at the time. In the South, it was uncommon for blacks and whites to share a glass or water fountain, making Carpenter’s decision not to refuse the water significant. The game continued, and Barksdale would later break new ground again by becoming the first African-American All-Star in the NBA, playing for the Boston Celtics alongside Chuck Cooper.
4. Kathrine Switzer & Roberta Gibb
In the years before 1967, no woman was officially allowed to run in the Boston Marathon, and the Boston Athletic Association (BAA) was reluctant to issue bib numbers to female applicants. The Amateur Athletic Association (AAU) also excluded women from distance running, citing concerns over their ability to endure long races. Roberta Gibb ran the Boston Marathon three times (1966–1968) without a bib number, hiding in the bushes at the starting line to avoid detection.
Kathrine Switzer, however, was issued a bib number, though not with the full approval of the BAA. The organization claimed she hadn’t made her gender clear when signing up, entering as “K.V. Switzer.” She began the race unnoticed, but as she neared the fourth mile, the press bus spotted her, sparking controversy. When race officials were alerted, one attempted to tear off her bib number and physically remove her. However, “Big” Tom Miller, a nationally ranked hammer thrower and former All-American football player, intervened and pushed him aside. Switzer completed the race, helping pave the way for women’s participation in distance running.
3. Willie O’Ree
Willie O’Ree was unaware that he had broken the color barrier in the NHL when he debuted in 1958, recalling, “It just didn’t dawn on me. I was just concerned about playing hockey.” Growing up in Canada, O’Ree played both hockey and baseball, and as a teenager, he met Jackie Robinson in Brooklyn after being invited to camp with the Milwaukee Braves. During their brief exchange, Robinson remarked that no black kids played hockey, to which O’Ree corrected him by saying, “Yeah, there’s a few.” Less than 10 years later, O’Ree would make his historic NHL debut for the Boston Bruins.
Throughout his career, O’Ree faced constant racial abuse while playing on the road, yet he remained determined not to respond to the taunts. On some occasions, while sitting in the penalty box, he was spit on and had objects thrown at him due to his race. Nevertheless, O’Ree persevered and later transitioned into a leadership role with the NHL’s diversity program, working as the director of youth development after his playing days were over.
2. Al Davis
Al Davis, the owner of the Oakland Raiders, saw his football legacy clouded in the final years of his life, as the Raiders went through an extended period of struggles that continues today. The team has not made the playoffs since their Super Bowl appearance in 2002, and many critics attribute this decline to Davis being disconnected from the game. However, it’s important to remember that Davis was a visionary throughout most of his career in football, particularly when it came to his progressive views on civil rights.
In 1963, just a year after the Washington Redskins were forced to integrate, Davis made a stand by refusing to play a preseason game in Mobile, Alabama, as a protest against the state's segregation laws. In addition to this protest, Davis introduced a policy for the Raiders that banned the team from playing in cities where players were required to stay in separate hotels because of racial segregation, further showcasing his commitment to equality.
Davis also made significant strides in diversifying the NFL by hiring the second African-American head coach in the league's history, Art Shell, and also the first female executive in the front office, Amy Trask. Shell, who had been an offensive tackle for the Raiders, played under the second Latino head coach in NFL history, Tom Flores, who was another of Davis' groundbreaking hires.
1. Francois Pienaar & Nelson Mandela
Francois Pienaar grew up during apartheid in South Africa, a time when Nelson Mandela was frequently labeled a terrorist who deserved his long imprisonment. As a rugby player, Pienaar was part of the 1995 Rugby World Cup team, which came to symbolize South Africa’s transformation. Mandela, who supported the South African team, rejected the idea that the springbok—the team's emblem, which was heavily associated with apartheid—should be abandoned. Instead, Mandela embraced the Rugby World Cup as a moment to reunite the nation through the power of sport.
After South Africa’s triumph, Mandela, wearing a South African rugby shirt adorned with the springbok emblem, handed the cup to Pienaar, the white South African captain. This moment became a symbol of reconciliation for a nation once deeply divided. Following the victory, Pienaar and Mandela developed a strong bond, with the iconic Madiba later attending Pienaar’s wedding and even becoming godfather to one of the rugby captain’s children.
