Today’s Black Fact: Muhammad Ali Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist. Considered a cultural icon, Ali was both idolized and vilified. Ali changed his name after joining the Nation of Islam in 1964, subsequently converting to Sunni Islam in 1975, and more recently practicing Sufism. In 1967, three years after Ali had won the World Heavyweight Championship, he was publicly vilified for his refusal to be conscripted into the U.S. military, based on his religious beliefs and opposition to the Vietnam War. Nicknamed “The Greatest,” during his prime Ali was involved in several historic boxing matches. Notable among these were three with rival Joe Frazier, which are considered among the greatest in boxing history, and one with George Foreman, where he finally regained his stripped titles seven years later. Ali was well known for his unorthodox fighting style, which he described as…

Today’s Black Fact: Florence Griffith-Joyner Florence Delorez Griffith, also known as Flo-Jo was an American track and field athlete. During the late 1980s she became a popular figure in international track and field because of her record-setting performances and flashy personal style. She was the wife of triple jumper Al Joyner and the sister-in-law of heptathlete and long jumper Jackie Joyner-Kersee. She is considered the “fastest woman of all time” based on the fact that she still holds the world record for both the 100 metres and 200 metres, both set in 1988 and never seriously challenged. At 1988 Summer Olympics, n the 100 m final, she ran a wind-assisted 10.54, beating her nearest rival Evelyn Ashford by 0.3 seconds. In the 200 m quarter-final, she set a world record and then broke that record again winning the final by 0.4 seconds with a time of 21.34. She also ran…

Today’s Black Fact: Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats. His biography on the National Basketball Association (NBA) website states, “By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time.” Jordan was one of the most effectively marketed athletes of his generation and was considered instrumental in popularizing the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s. With five regular-season MVPs (tied for second place with Bill Russell; only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has won more, six), six Finals MVPs (NBA record), and three All-Star MVPs, Jordan is the most decorated player ever to play in the NBA. Jordan finished among the top three in regular-season MVP voting a record 10 times, and was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996. In June 2010, Jordan was ranked by Forbes Magazine…

Today’s Black Fact: Briana Scurry Briana Colette Scurry is a retired American soccer goalkeeper. Scurry was the starting goalkeeper for the United States women’s national soccer team at the 1995 World Cup (3rd place), 1996 Olympics (gold medal), 1999 World Cup (champions), 2003 World Cup (3rd place), 2004 Olympics (gold medal) and 2007 World Cup (3rd place). She was a founding member of the WUSA, playing three seasons as starting goalkeeper for the Atlanta Beat (2001–2003). Her career total of 173 international appearances is the most among female soccer goalkeepers. It is also the tenth most of any American female player, and the twentieth most among all women. Off the field, Scurry may be seen with First Lady Michelle Obama helping in the fight against childhood obesity. Scurry, took part in the kick-off ceremony for First Lady Michelle Obama’s formal unveiling of a nationwide campaign to address the serious epidemic…

Today’s Black Fact: Ussian Bolt Usain St. Leo Bolt is a Jamaican sprinter and a five-time World and three-time Olympic gold medalist. He is the world record and Olympic record holder in the 100 metres, the 200 metres and (along with his teammates) the 4×100 metres relay. He is the reigning Olympic champion in these three events. Bolt won a 200 m gold medal at the 2002 World Junior Championships, making him the competition’s youngest-ever gold medalist. In 2004, at the CARIFTA Games, he became the first junior sprinter to run the 200 m in less than 20 seconds with a time of breaking the previous world junior record held by Roy Martin by two-tenths of a second. He turned professional in 2004. His 2008 season began with his first world record performance—a 100 m world record of 9.72 s—and culminated in world and Olympic records in both the 100 m…

Today’s Black Fact: Venus and Serena Williams These ladies are a dynamic duo! Ranked in the top five in the world for the past two years, the prodigal Williams sisters have stunned the world. The key to their game is fast serves and strong returns that exhaust their opponents on the court. Still in their early 20’s, speculation abounds as to which of the sisters will ultimately prove to be the most successful player in the long-term. Nobody can question their talent on the court. They use speed and agility to overpower their opponents and have an in-your-face style of playing. Venus also has a 100-mile-plus serve that few can counter. She holds the record for the fastest serve ever recorded in history by a female–127.4 mph. Not since Althea Gibson won Wimbledon in 1957 and 1958 had an African-American woman won a Grand Slam tournament. In 1999, Serena won…

Today’s Black Fact: Arthur Ashe Arthur Robert Ashe, Jr. was a professional tennis player, born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. During his career, he won three Grand Slam titles, putting him among the best ever from the United States. Ashe, an African American, was the first black player ever selected to the United States Davis Cup team and the only black man to ever win the singles title at Wimbledon, the US Open, and Australian Open. He is also remembered for his efforts to further social causes. Ashe, the first African-American male to win a Grand Slam event, was an active civil rights supporter. He was a member of a delegation of 31 prominent African-Americans who visited South Africa to observe political change in the country as it approached racial integration. He was arrested on January 11, 1985, for protesting outside the South African embassy in Washington, D.C. during an…