Black History

Track and Field Olympic Champion Wilma Rudolph: Lightning Fast

Her athletic performance in Rome earned her the title of one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century.

Published

3 years ago

May 21, 2021

Christy Price

Wilma Rudolph/ Wikimedia Commons

As a child she was told that she would “never walk again.” Number 17 of 22 children, she was born prematurely and contracted infantile paralysis at age 4. This left her with a twisted left leg and there was no cure. But to the family of Wilma Glodean Rudolph (1940–1994), those words were nonsensical. Nothing, they thought, would stop young Rudolph from walking.
Together, family members cared for and supported Rudolph. They would remove her brace and massage her injured leg. By age 6, she began to hop. By age 8 she could move around with a leg brace. After surviving bouts of polio and scarlet fever, her prognosis was gloomy. “My doctor told me I would never walk again,” Rudolph had said. “My mother told me I would. I believed my mother.”
By age 11, Rudolph, who dreamed of becoming an athlete, often played outdoors. She began to play basketball with the neighborhood kids. Soon, Rudolph was transitioning into a natural athlete. In high school she broke records and led her team to the state championship, and was nominated All-American in basketball. But a chance meeting with a college coach would take Rudolph in another direction.
Track and field became Wilma’s passion, and like basketball, she was a natural. Her rise was astonishing. While still in high school she was competing on the collegiate level.
At age 16, Wilma competed in the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia, bringing home a bronze medal in the 4×100 relay, and later entered the 1960 summer Olympics in pursuit of the gold.

Her athletic performance in Rome earned her the title of one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century. She won three gold medals and broke at least three world records, becoming the first American woman to win three gold medals in track and field at the same Olympic game.
At the height of her dream of becoming an international track and field star, the Saint Bethlehem, Tenn.–born Rudolph was dubbed “the fastest woman in the world.” She took advantage of the spotlight and media attention and used her platform to shed light on social issues. A heroic homecoming was held for the new Olympic champion, yet Rudolph refused to attend because the gathering was segregated. She never again competed in the Olympic Games.
Rudolph won the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year award in 1961 and retired in 1962. She then enrolled in Tennessee State University and completed her degree becoming a teacher and a commentator. She continued her involvement in sports, working at community centers throughout the country.
During a 1995 interview, Rudolph said of her illness: “I never once thought that I would not walk because I was surrounded by people who were positive about it.” And that positive attitude was the backbone of success throughout her life.
Rudolph died of a brain tumor in 1994.

Christy Price

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S.F. Black Leaders Rally to Protest, Discuss ‘Epidemic’ of Racial Slurs Against Black Students in SF Public School System

Parents at the meeting spoke of their children as no longer feeling safe in school because of bullying and discrimination. Parents also said that reported incidents such as racial slurs and intimidation are not dealt with to their satisfaction and feel ignored.

Published

10 hours ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Rev. Amos C. Brown, president of the San Francisco NAACP and pastor of Third Baptist Church. Photo courtesy Third Baptist Church.

By Carla Thomas

San Francisco’s Third Baptist Church hosted a rally and meeting Sunday to discuss hatred toward African American students of the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD).

Rev. Amos C. Brown, president of the San Francisco NAACP and pastor of Third Baptist Church, along with leadership from local civil rights groups, the city’s faith-based community and Black community leadership convened at the church.

“There has been an epidemic of racial slurs and mistreatment of Black children in our public schools in the city,” said Brown. “This will not be tolerated.”

According to civil rights advocate Mattie Scott, students from elementary to high school have reported an extraordinary amount of racial slurs directed at them.

“There is a surge of overt racism in the schools, and our children should not be subjected to this,” said Scott. “Students are in school to learn, develop, and grow, not be hated on,” said Scott. “The parents of the children feel they have not received the support necessary to protect their children.”

Attendees were briefed last Friday in a meeting with SFUSD Superintendent Dr. Matt Wayne.

SFUSD states that their policies protect children and they are not at liberty to publicly discuss the issues to protect the children’s privacy.

Some parents said they have removed their students from school while other parents and community leaders called on the removal of the SFUSD superintendent, the firing of certain school principals and the need for more supportive school board members.

Community advocates discussed boycotting the schools and creating Freedom Schools led by Black leaders and educators, reassuring parents that their child’s wellbeing and education are the highest priority and youth are not to be disrupted by racism or policies that don’t support them.

Virginia Marshall, chair of the San Francisco NAACP’s education committee, offered encouragement to the parents and students in attendance while also announcing an upcoming May 14 school board meeting to demand accountability over their mistreatment.

“I’m urging anyone that cares about our students to pack the May 14 school board meeting,” said Marshall.

This resource was supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library via California Black Media as part of the Stop the Hate Program. The program is supported by partnership with California Department of Social Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs as part of the Stop the Hate program. To report a hate incident or hate crime and get support, go to CA vs Hate.