First Black Gymnasts in History

 Throughout history, many black Americans faced discrimination and hardship to have their names inscribed in history books. In this article, I shine a spotlight on trailblazing black gymnasts in history. 

Sid Oglesby 

Meet Sid Oglesby, the first-ever Black NCAA gymnastics champion in 1964, winning the vault title for Syracuse. He started gymnastics around the age of 14 or 15 after losing a bet. Throughout his life, he faced racial injustice and hardship. Among his many accomplishments in sports, he successfully advocated to ban Syracuse University's interscholastic competition with segregated schools in the 1960s. Oglesby chose Syracuse over Michigan and West Point because an Italian American friend had come to compete there. He arrived in Syracuse with $300 and a bible. He quickly befriended his roommate, John Chuck Harmon, a Black football player from Philadelphia. Syracuse was a city he grew to love, reflecting the social issues of the time. Only two fraternities opened parties to Black students. Independently, Oglesby and Harmon recalled the number of African Americans on campus during their college years, sixty most of whom were athletes. Oglesby was the only black athlete among the dozen on the gymnastics team. "We lived a very isolated life," Oglesby recalls, mentioning how the campus was segregated. Instead of becoming resentful, Oglesby turned toward self-improvement. "I went on a rampage of studying, learning, and improving myself," he says.

James Kanati Allen

Next is James Kanati Allen, a pioneer in men's gymnastics for the United States, the Los Angeles native attended UCLA, where he studied Physics and earned an all-around bronze medal in the NCAA championships. He then went on to become the first black male to be named to the U.S. Olympic gymnastics team in 1968. After the Olympics, he earned a PhD in physics from the University of Washington. 

Jackie Court

Jackie Court was the voice of the early development of women's gymnastics in Rhode Island, she organized the first tri-competitive high school meets and the first USAG state meets. She was Rhode Island's first state chairperson and held the position for 18 years. She was the first minority coach hired at Brown University developed the competitive gymnastics program and coached for 33 years before retiring.  Court was always an active supporter of equality for women in sports. She was recognized by the NCAA Gymnastics Association for her support and actions that improved college sports for women through Title IX. Court continued to judge after coaching, until she passed away in 2020, leaving an inspiring legacy as a trailblazer in gymnastics. Her son, John Court, is now the head coach for the University of Arizona's women's gymnastics team.

Alexandra Nicholson 

Alexandra Nicholson competed in track, tumbling, and ice skating before taking up trampolining, with her diverse athletic background, it is no surprise that she leaped to the top of trampolining in just three years. Ebony Magazine did an in-depth story about Nicholson in June 1972 after she won the USA trampoline Championships. She went on to win the world champion title in both 1972 and 1974.

Wendy Hilliard

Wendy Hilliard has long been a major force in women's Olympic and community sports. She was the first black rhythmic gymnast to represent the United States globally and remained on the Rhythmic Gymnastics National Team a record-setting nine times, serving twice as National Team Captain. Wendy competed in three world championships and the 1984 Olympic trials and traveled to over 15 foreign countries. She is a master of sport, an honor given to developing an Olympic athlete. In 2008, Wendy was inducted into the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame. Wendy's non-profit Organization, the Wendy Hilliard Gymnastics Foundation, has provided free gymnastics for almost 25,000 urban youth in NYC organization launched Black Gymnasts in History.