Black History
Black History Month, Wellness and Healing Going Forward
NNPA NEWSWIRE — “Throughout history, Black people set out to build hospitals, medical and nursing schools, and community clinics, all through self-determination and social support initiatives. This, along with the doulas, birth workers, midwives, herbalists, and naturopaths throughout the African diaspora, acknowledges the legacy of Black scholars and practitioners in Western medicine,” said Pastor Rondall Leggett of the First Missionary Baptist Church in Marin City.
By Godfrey Lee
This year’s Black History Month celebrations embraced the theme of Black health and wellness, including mental and spiritual health. “Throughout history, Black people set out to build hospitals, medical and nursing schools, and community clinics, all through self-determination and social support initiatives. This, along with the doulas, birth workers, midwives, herbalists, and naturopaths throughout the African diaspora, acknowledges the legacy of Black scholars and practitioners in Western medicine,” said Pastor Rondall Leggett of the First Missionary Baptist Church in Marin City.
Dr. John Henry Jordan and the Lincoln School for Nurses are two examples.
Jordan (1870-1912) was the first Black doctor and surgeon in Coweta County, Georgia. He built the first hospital for Blacks in Coweta County and organized a Medical Aid Organization in which he taught his patients about health and hygiene.
The Lincoln School for Nurses, founded in 1898 in Bronx, N.Y., was the first nursing school for Black women. A total of 1,864 Black nurses had graduated from the school when it closed in 1961.
There will be two events, both on Sunday, February 27, in Marin City that will close out the Black History Month’s celebrations in Marin City.
The first event will be the 10:15 a.m. service at the First Missionary Baptist Church (FMBC), located at 501 Drake Ave. in Marin City. Deacon Reginald Lyles, professor of Old Testament studies at the Leadership Institute at Allen Temple, will be giving his message. Lyles will be the last speaker in the FMBC’s series of messages on “Black Health and Wellness: Where Do We Go From Here?” which is based on I Thessalonians 5:23-24.
The Ministerial Alliance in Marin City will host a service, “Break The Silence – A Time of Hope and Healing Service” from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Cornerstone Community Church in Christ, located on 626 Drake Avenue in Marin City. The service will close out this year’s Black History Month programming in Marin City. Its purpose is to bring the community together and turn the pain of the past into purpose and power for the future.
The “Break the Silence’ Service is an in-person event in a COVID-19 friendly environment. You can also tune in through Facebook Livestream, or on Zoom, with the Zoom Meeting ID: 639 704 6444 and the password 944289.
Black History
From Louisville to the Olympics: The Legacy of William DeHart Hubbard
William DeHart Hubbard, born on November 25, 1903, in Cincinnati, Ohio, was a trailblazing figure in American sports history. Hubbard grew up in Cincinnati. While attending Walnut Hills High School he excelled in academics and athletics. This earned him a scholarship to the University of Michigan in 1921, where he studied in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. In college, he quickly made a name for himself as an exceptional track and field athlete.
By Tamara Shiloh
William DeHart Hubbard, born on November 25, 1903, in Cincinnati, Ohio, was a trailblazing figure in American sports history.
Hubbard grew up in Cincinnati. While attending Walnut Hills High School he excelled in academics and athletics. This earned him a scholarship to the University of Michigan in 1921, where he studied in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. In college, he quickly made a name for himself as an exceptional track and field athlete.
Hubbard was the only African American on the school’s track team; he was also the first African American varsity track letterman at the university. In his college career, Hubbard won several meets including being a three-time National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) champion, eight-time Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) champion, and seven-time Big Ten Conference champion in track and field. His 1925 outdoor long jump of 25 feet 101⁄2 inches stood as the Michigan Wolverines team record until 1980, and it is still second. His 1925 jump of 25 feet 3.5 inches stood as a Big Ten Championships record until Jesse Owens broke it in 1935 with what is now the current record of 26 feet 8.25 inches.
In 1924, he was selected to represent the United States at the Paris Summer Olympics.
Competing against some of the best athletes in the world, Hubbard made history by winning the gold medal in the long jump by jumping 24 feet 5.5 inches. This victory made him the first African American to win an individual gold medal in the history of the modern Olympic Games.
In 1925, Hubbard broke the long jump world record with a leap of 25 feet 107⁄8 inches at the NCAA championships. In 1927, he bettered that with a jump of 26 feet 2.25 inches — which would have been the first ever over 26 feet — but meet officials disallowed it, claiming that the take-off board was an inch higher than the surface of the landing pit. He also competed in the hurdles at the 1926 AAU championships. He graduated with honors in 1927.
He specialized in the long jump, a sport that would soon bring him international fame.
Hubbard’s Olympic success was not just a personal triumph but a milestone for African Americans in sports. His victory challenged the prevailing stereotypes of the time and inspired a generation of Black athletes to pursue their dreams in the face of adversity.
After his Olympic success, he continued to excel in track and field. He set an additional world record in 1925 with a jump of 25 feet 10.75 inches, which stood for several years. His accomplishments were not limited to athletics, as he also became involved in civic and business endeavors after his graduation from the University of Michigan in 1927.
Following his athletic career, Hubbard returned to his hometown of Cincinnati, where he took on various roles serving his community and the progress of African Americans. He worked as a manager for the Department of Colored Work for the Cincinnati Public Recreation Commission and later became a race relations adviser for the Federal Housing Administration.
Hubbard passed away on June 23, 1976. As the first African American to win an individual Gold Medal in the Olympics, he not only paved the way for future generations of athletes but also demonstrated the profound impact that sports can have on societal change.
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