1951 - Althea Gibson

By dbloom

  • Magnificant Seven are executed

    The Martinsville Seven were a group of seven African-American men from Martinsville, Virginia, who were convicted and executed in 1951 for raping a white woman in 1949.The case of the Martinsville Seven was taken up by outside groups, including the NAACP and the Civil Rights Congress.

  • Caribbean Tennis Championship - Montego Bay, Jamaica (First major tournament victory for AG).

    Women singles:
    1. AG d. Edith Ann Sullivan; 6-0, 6-4
    2. unk or Bye
    S. AG d. Baba Madden Lewis; 2-6, 6-3, 7-5
    F. AG d. Betty Rosenquest: 5-7, 6-4, 6-4.
    Mixed doubles
    AG/Jacque Grigry d. Count & Contessa de Sibour; 11-9, 5-7, 14-12
    Miami News

  • National Indoor Tennis Championship-Seventh Regiment Armory, NYC

    Women singles:
    1. AG d. Nancy Derenna; 6-0, 6-0
    2. AG d. Marjorie Buck; 7-5, 3-6, 8-6
    Q. Nancy Chaffee d. AG; 6-1, 6-3
    Mixed doubles:
    1. AG/Jacque Grigry vs Eleanor Prentiss/Bruce Cover (Prentiss/Cover default)

  • Good Neighbor Tournament - Flamingo Park, Miami, FL (first A/A)

    Women singles:
    1- AG d. Lucy Henriques; 6-1, 6-0.
    2- AG d. Marnee Norris; 8-6, 6-4.
    Q- AG d. Betty Ruth James; 6-3, 6-1.
    S- AG d. Rhoda Hopkins; 6-0, 6-3.
    F-AG d. Betty Rosenquest: 6-4, 6-2.
    Women doubles:
    S-AG/Susan Herr d. Gladis Heldman/Marnee Norris; 6-3, 6-1.
    F-Rosenquest/Rhoda Hopkins d. AG/Herr; 6-4, 6-2.
    Mixed doubles:
    Q. AG/Tony Vincent d. Mr. & Mrs. Hobart Wrobbel; 6-1, 6-1.
    F-AG/TV d. Elaine Lewicki/Orlando Garrido; 6-1, 6-2.
    Miami News. Afro American 07 April.

  • Supreme Court overturns Groveland Four conviction

    The Groveland Four were four young African-American men, who in 1949 were wrongfully accused of raping 17-year-old Norma Padgett and assaulting her husband on July 16, 1949, Lake County FL. In 1951, the United States Supreme Court ordered a retrial ruling they had not received a fair trial because no evidence had been presented, because of excessive adverse publicity, and because blacks had been excluded from the jury.

  • AG in Hamtramck, Michigan, for two weeks to train with Jean Hoxie

    Jean Hoxie gave AG 2 3-hour sessions sometimes twice a day. (see Born, p. 70)

  • Northern Lawn Tennis Tournament-Manchester England

    Women singles:
    1. AG d. Peggy Hodson; 6-1, 6-1
    2. AG d. Norma Potts; 6-4, 6-4
    Q. AG d. Barbara Scofield, 6-1, 7-5
    S. Doris Hart d. AG; 6-1, 6-4
    Mixed Doubles:
    Round unk. AG/Narath Kumar d. G. H. Ryver/Miss J. MacLeod; 6-1, 6-0
    S. AG/NK d. Rosenquest/Brendan Macken; 6-3, 6-4
    F. Hall Burrows/Beverly Baker d. AG/NK; 6-2, 3-6, 6-3
    Ag's first British tournament

  • Kent Lawn Tennis Championship - Beckenham, England

    Singles:
    1. AG d. Mary Carlisle; 6-1, 6-2.
    2. AG d. Mrs. P. M. Johns; 6-0, 6-1
    Q. AG d. Joan Partridge; 6-3, 1-6, 6-3.
    S. Betty Rosenquest d. AG; 11-9, 7-5.

  • London Grass Court Tennis Championship-Queen's Court London

    Singles:
    1. AG d. Mrs. Richard Haukness; 6-0, 8-6
    2. AG d. Mrs. M. Schier; 6-2, 6-0
    3. AG d. Susan (Joan)Partridge; 7-5, 1-6, 6-4
    Q. Shirley Fry d. AG; 6-1, 6-4
    Doubles:
    1. AG/Mrs. T. T. Lloyd d. Beatrice Walter/Georgie Woodgate; 6-4, 4-6, 7-5.

  • Wimbledon - first A/A

    Women singles:
    First round: bye
    2. AG d. Pat Ward (GBR); 6-0, 2-6, 6-4.
    3. Beverly Baker (USA) d. AG; 6-1, 6-3
    Women's doubles
    1- Bye
    2- Susan Billington (GBR)/ Margot Parker (GBR) d. AG/Nelly Adamson (FRA); walkover
    Mixed doubles
    1-Bye
    2. AG/Narenda Nath (IND) d. Claude Lister (GBR)/Thelma Lister (GBR); 6-0, 6-2
    3. Frank Sedgman (AUS)/Doris Hart d. AG/NN; 6-8, 6-8

  • International Tennis Tournament - Dortmund Germany

    1-AG d. Bertha Kipper; 6-2, 6-3
    S-AG d. Inge Hamann; 6-4, 6-3
    F-AG d. Hannah Kozeluh: 6-3, 6-2

  • Essex Championships - Frinton-on-Sea (England)

    Women's singles:
    3. AG d. Velma Middleton; 6-0, 6-0
    Q. AG d. Mrs. J. M. Lloyd; 6-3, 6-4
    S.unk
    F. AG d. Arvilla McGuire: 6-2, 6-0
    Women doubles:
    F. Beryl Bartlett/Betty Wilford d. AG/McGuire; 3-6, 6-2, 6-2.

  • Cicero IL race riot

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cicero_race_riot_of_1951
    A black family was attacked as they moved into their new apartment. The Cicero Race Riot of 1951 lasted several nights, involved two- to five thousand white rioters, and received worldwide condemnation. It was the first race riot to be broadcast on local television.

  • Pennsylvania Open-Germantown, PA

    final events rained out

  • Eastern Grass Court Tournament - Orange, NJ

    Women's singles:
    1. AG d. Isabelle Farrington; 6-2, 6-2
    2. AG d. Rosemary Darben; 6-0, 6-3
    Q. Maureen Connolly d. AG; 6-4, 6-4
    Women's Doubles:
    Q. Rosemary Buck/Margaret Varner defeat AG/Gladys Heldman; 9-7, 6-4.
    LA Times July 31, Heldman dissertation, Courier News Aug 3.

  • Eastern Open - Shady Rest

    Singles:
    AG d. Nana Davis: 6-2, 6-3
    Mixed doubles:
    Jane Hudlin/George Stewart d. AG/Dr.J

  • American Tennis Association Tournament-Wilberforce (34th)

    Women's singles:
    1. AG d. Bertha Craig, 6-0, 6-0
    2. AG d. Ophelia Harmon; 6-0, 6-0
    3 or Q: AG d. Rosemary Darben; 6-0, 6-0
    3 or Q. AG d. Ophelia Harmon; 6-0, 6-0
    S. AG d. Roumania Peters; 6-0, 6-0
    F. AG d. Mary Etta Fine; 6-1, 6-0
    Mixed doubles:
    S. Nana Davis/Quentin Vaughan d. AG/Whirlwind; 8-6,4-6,7-5.
    (AG double faulted to lose the match)
    Atlanta Daily World 28 Aug.; Afro American 01 Sep, NY Age 25 1951

  • National Tennis Tournament 1951 - Forest Hills

    Women's singles:
    1. AG d. Gladys Heldman; 6-1, 6-0
    2. AG d. Toby Greenberg; 6-3, 6-1
    Q. Maureen Connolly d. AG; 6-2, 6-4
    Mixed doubles"
    2. AG/Don Candy (AUS) d. Laura Lou Jahn/Richardson
    3. AG/DC d. M/M Tony Mottram; 6-4, 6-1
    Q. Patricia Todd/William Talbot d. AG/DC; 6-0, 3-6, 9-7

  • Court martial of Leon A. Gilbert

    In the era of US armed forces integration, Leon Gilbert was court martialed and sentenced to death for failure to obey an order from a white officer. Pres. Truman reduced the sentence in 1952. Thurgood Marshall, said that statements strongly indicate that many of these men were victimized by racial discrimination. It seems apparent that some of them are being made scapegoats for the failures of higher personnel."

  • Johnny Bright incident

    The Johnny Bright incident was a violent on-field assault against African-American player Johnny Bright by a white opposing player during an American college football game held on October 20, 1951, in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

  • Bethune Cookman Homecoming

    AG is honored at the event

  • Harry T. Moore assassination in Mims, FL

    Harry T. Moore was the first NAACP member and official to be assassinated for civil rights activism; the couple are the only husband and wife to be killed for the movement. Moore has been called the first martyr of this stage of the civil rights movement that expanded in the 1960s. (wikipedia)