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Not-so-famous athletes who made black history

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Most people are familiar with the groundbreaking sports moments of tennis star sisters Venus and Serena Williams, golf trailblazer Tiger Woods and Jackie Robinson, who broke the so-called color barrier in Major League Baseball.

But many smaller steps were taken, as early as the 19th century, on the road toward Black acceptance and success in sports. Here are some of the early African-American athletic pioneers you may not have heard of:

John W. ā€œBudā€ Fowler

Before Jackie Robinson, there was Bud Fowler, who is the earliest known African-American player in organized professional baseball. Fowler took the field in 1878 as the first player of color on an all-white team. Fowler held the record for playing the most seasons and the most games of any African-American organized baseball player, until Robinson played his 11th season in 1956.

William H. Lewis

Before launching a political and legal career and becoming the first African-American Assistant United States Attorney and the first United States Assistant Attorney General, William Lewis made history on the football field. Lewis played football at Amherst College and was elected team captain during his senior year (1890), and he became the first African-American named to an All-American team. Lewis joined the football team at Harvard University, where he attended law school and was again elected captain. He went on to coach football at Harvard for 11 years.

Marshall Walter ā€œMajorā€ Taylor

Indianapolis native Major Taylor began cycling professionally at age 18. By 1898, Taylor had clinched seven world records. In 1899, Taylor became the first Black American to become a world champion athlete. (He was the second Black athlete worldwide to become world champion, though; Canadian boxer George Dixon preceded Taylor there.)

Moses Fleetwood ā€œFleetā€ Walker

Another baseball development: ā€œFleetā€ Walker has traditionally been credited as the first Black player to compete on a major league baseball team. Walker suited up with the Toledo Blue Stockings in 1883, then the team joined the American Association (a major league in competition with the National League) the following year.

Harry ā€œBuckyā€ Lew

Harry Lew joined the New England Professional Basketball League in 1902, becoming the first African-American professional basketball player. Lew took the court with the Pawtucketville Athletic Club at age 18, and ultimately spent more than two decades in the game playing and managing. Though Lew was officially a member of the Pawtucketville team, the teamā€™s manager initially wouldnā€™t play him, even opting to play with four players rather than put Lew on the court.

Joe Gans

In 1902, boxer Joe Gans became the first African-American World Lightweight Champion, a title he held continuously until 1908. Gansā€™ legacy lives on in the boxing world; boxing historian Nat Fleischer named Gans the greatest lightweight boxer of all time. In 1990, Gans was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

George Coleman Poage

George Poage became the first Black athlete to run for the University of Wisconsin track and field team, but he didnā€™t stop there. In 1904, Poage became the first African-American Big Ten track champion. Later that same year, Poage competed in the Summer Olympics in St. Louis, where he became the first-ever African-American athlete to win an Olympic medal. Poage actually won two medals ā€” bronze in the 200-meter hurdles and bronze in the 400-meter hurdles.

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