Serving Herself: The Life and Times of Althea Gibson

Although the word “trailblazer” is often overused it perfectly describes the life and brilliance of Althea Gibson (1927-2003), the most famous black sportswoman of the mid-twentieth century. From playing paddle tennis as a teenager on the streets of Harlem, New York, to winning eleven Grand Slam tennis titles (French Open, US Open, and Wimbledon), to her professional golf career, Althea Gibson broke through the glass ceiling of American sport. Author Ashley Brown explores her life and choices against the backdrop of the Great Migration, Jim Crow racism, the integration of American sports, the civil rights movement, the Cold War and the second wave of feminism. Throughout her life Gibson was under pressure to balance the expectations of her supporters and adversaries including her patrons in the black-led American Tennis Association, the white-led United States Lawn Tennis Association, and the media, especially the Black press. She wanted to be treated as an individual, not as a member of a specific race or gender and was reluctant to speak openly about the prejudice she faced as an African American woman. But despite the wins and international recognition, including a ticker tape parade in New York City and gracing the covers of Sports Illustrated and Time magazine, Gibson struggled to support herself, even in old age. Unlike the female tennis players who would follow in her footsteps and earn big money, Gibson had very little to show for those earlier years except the memories of what had been a remarkable career.

Format: Kindle Edition, Audio CD & Hardcover

Hardcover: 616 Pages

Language: English