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Article: Boxing, track and new frontiers. (African American athletes) (Blacks in Sports: 1947-1992: The Legacy)
- Article from:
- Ebony
- Article date:
- August 1, 1992
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1992 Johnson Publishing Co. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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SINCE the Jackie Robinson breakthrough in 1947, Blacks have made modest gains in individual sports such as golf, tennis and figure skating, and have continued their pre-Jackie Robinson dominance in boxing and track and field.
Ironically, the Jackie Robinson breakthrough coincided with the end of what some experts consider the Golden Age of Blacks in boxing, an age that highlighted the exploits of boxing legends like Joe Louis and Henry Armstrong. Two years after Robinson signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Louis retired from the ring after holding the heavyweight title for a record 11 years and eight months. He was succeeded by a number of talented champions, ...