On November 18, the House approved, by voice vote, a resolution (H. Con. Res. 69) recognizing Althea Gibson for her groundbreaking athletic achievements and for continuing to serve as a role model for the nation’s youth. Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) sponsored the resolution.
According to the resolution, “Althea Gibson was the first African-American invited to Wimbledon in 1951, eventually winning both the women’s singles and doubles in 1957.” The resolution also states, “Althea Gibson was the first African-American woman to win the championship at the French Open, in 1956.” Finally, the resolution notes that Ms. Gibson was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1971 and the International Women’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1980.
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) paid tribute to Althea Gibson, noting, “…more important than her victories has been her presence at these tournaments at which black players had never before competed. She is rightfully known as the ‘Jackie Robinson of women’s tennis,’ and her courage has had the same incredible impact on her sport that Jackie Robinson had on baseball.”
Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL) agreed. “Althea Gibson was the first black person of either sex to break the color barrier in national and international tournament tennis at a time when prejudice and racism were far more pervasive in society and in sports. Althea Gibson was not only somebody, she was someone special,” he stated.
