Celebrating Black Running Pioneers
This year marks the 120th anniversary of the United States hosting the Olympic Games, making it the first time the Games have been hosted outside of Europe. The 1904 Olympics was not only the first time the United States hosted the Games, but it was also the first time a Black American won an Olympic medal.
Track and field athlete, George Coleman Poage, won two bronze medals in the games: one for the 220-yard hurdles and another for the 440-yard hurdles. Since then, the United States has become a powerhouse in the track and field events as they lead the world in gold medals. U.S. sprinter Allyson Felix continues to make history as she has become one of the most decorated women in Olympic history with 11 medals, seven of them being gold.
Cheryl Touissant practicing hand-offs
Before we can continue to admire today’s black athletes, we must remember the dynamic duo that started it all, Tidye Pickett and Louise Stokes, who became the first Black women to qualify for the U.S. Olympic team. Although they qualified for the 1932 Olympic Games, they were later replaced by white runners. Pickett and Stokes were able to compete in the 1936 Berlin Olympics, but in the semifinal race Pickett broke her foot and Stokes was replaced again by a white teammate. A total of 18 Black Americans competed in the 1936 Olympics, yet only one is remembered in history, Jesse Owens. More information can be found in a documentary directed by Deborah Riley Draper called Olympic Pride, American Prejudice. This film can be found on platforms such as Amazon Prime Video, Peacock, YouTube, and more.
February is Black History Month, a time that is marked to pay tribute to the generations of Black Americans who were forced to overcome adversity and those who continue to face hardships. While times have changed for the better, there are still pieces of our society that are still a work in progress.
Our podcast has had the honor of interviewing over ten incredible Black athletes who were pioneers in their own right. If you are looking to add a few more podcast episodes to your line up, listen to these pioneering women tell their stories.
Madeline Manning Mims: The first Black woman to compete in the 800 meters and win a gold medal at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.
Cheryl Touissant: Won a silver medal in the 1972 Munich Olympics and is the meet director of the Colgate Women’s Games.
Robin Campbell Bennett: She set the American record in both the 600-meter and 1000-meter events in 1974 and was a sponsored athlete of the Puma Track Club.
Sika Henry: The first Black American woman to qualify for her pro card in triathlon back in 2021 and a two-time champion of the One City Marathon.
Note about the author: Hannah Arneson is an undergraduate student at Washington State University, earning a degree in Strategic Communication with an emphasis in public relations. She is based out of Pullman, WA.
