Tennis Hall of Fame highlights accomplishments of Black players with exhibits

NEWPORT, R.I. (WJAR) — Black people have overcome barriers of all kinds, including in sports.

The International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport showed NBC 10 their exhibits spotlighting Black tennis players, past and present.

Senior Vice President of Content and Partnerships Julianna Barbieri said they have two digital exhibits available.

"A few different exhibits for Black History Month including the two online exhibits including one is "Breaking Boundaries in Black Tennis," and that chronicles the lives of players around the world who have made an impact on the sport," said Barbieri.

There is also the "Breaking Barriers in Tennis," a precursor to "Breaking Boundaries" that mostly chronicles the American Tennis Association and Black Tennis History in the United States dating back to the 1800s.

They have a virtual reality experience inside the museum where you can learn more about tennis great Arthur Ashe.

Barbieri said Jackie Robinson, the first Black American to play Major League Baseball, sent a telegram to Ashe when he won the U.S. Open in 1968.

It was a heartwarming note, telling Ashe that his accomplishments would be an inspiration to other Black people.

Ashe is the first and only Black American man to win the U.S. Open in 1968.

Another historical figure highlighted is Althea Gibson, who was the first Black American woman to win the U.S. Open in 1957.

This was before it was even referred to as the U.S. Open. Back then it was the U.S. Nationals.

"She really was an amazing player who didn't have it easy. It wasn't easy for her to be able to compete at the time that she competed," Barbieri said.

Gibson and Ashe's work has paved the way for many present-day Black tennis players.

The U.S. Nationals would later become the U.S. Open, after Gibson's win.

It was another 43 years before another Black American woman would win that title, Serena Williams.

Barbieri said there will be a special in-person lecture on February 27 about Gibson, called Serving Herself: The Life and Times of Althea Gibson.

"It's the debut of a new book that's coming out written by Dr. Ashley Brown who is a professor from the University of Wisconsin," said Barbieri. "She'll be coming in to speak about her book and how she's chronicled the life of Althea."

If you would like to learn more about the digital exhibit and in-person event, visit the museum's website.

The in-person will have drinks and hors d'oeuvres, before the start of the event.