Althea Gibson was a trailblazer in the enormously segregated sport of tennis. Find out more about her achievements and influence in this video.

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Born a slave, Booker T. Washington became one of the most celebrated educators and orators in the world. Find out more about his life and work in this video.

At a press conference held at the United Nations in 1979, boxing great Muhammad Ali is asked about the role of politics in sports.

On May 17, 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. A commentary on the ruling explores the differing theories on integration at the time.

Live coverage at Wimbledon in 1957 captures Althea Gibson's victory. Gibson was the first African-American woman to win Wimbledon and the U.S. Nationals.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968. That same night, Robert F. Kennedy delivered the devastating news of King’s death to a group of African American supporters at a campaign rally. This is audio and video from that event.

From her rough beginnings as an orphan, Madam CJ Walker went on to corner the market in black women's hair care and became the first self-made female millionaire.