Since 1976, every US president has designated the month of February as Black History Month based on a concept by black historian Carter G. Woodson. At Ladybug for Girls, we want to recognize black women who have made a major impact on the fields of sports and dance. We want to showcase women from history and women making history today. We hope these women can be role models for our girls as they explore their interests in physical fitness. 

Althea Gibson

Setting the stage for black women in Tennis today, including the Williams sisters and Naomi Osaka, was the first African-American woman to play tennis professionally. Althea Gibson was the first African-American to compete at the U.S. National Championships in 1950, and in 1951 she was the first black player to compete and win at Wimbledon. 

She was born in South Carolina but moved to Harlem in New York as a young girl. Not only did she break barriers in tennis, but Gibson was a trailblazer in professional golf as well. Because of her success in sports, she attended Florida A&M University and graduated in 1953. In 1956, she won the French Open and Wimbledon, and U.S. Open titles in 1957 and 58. She was inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame in 1971. 

Wilma Rudolph

Track star Wilma Rudolph’s legacy is a story of personal triumph. As one of 22 children in her family, Wilma battled both polio and scarlet fever as a child in the early 40s. She wore a leg brace due to her illness and was told she may never walk, but by the age of 8, she left the brace behind. She was a natural athlete and played basketball in high school. Eventually, she turned to track and field. She won bronze medals in the 1956 Olympics. At the 1960 summer Olympics, she became the first American woman to win 3 gold medals in track and field in the same Olympic Games. She went on to finish her degree at Tennessee State University and began a career in education. 

But sports advocacy was never far away. She worked at community centers around the United States. Wilma founded an organization to encourage amateur track and field competitors and was eventually inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. 

Jackie Joiner Kersee

Olympian Jackie Joiner Kersee is still one of the greatest track and field athletes in American history. She was the first American woman to win a gold medal for the long jump in the Olympics. She won 3 gold medals in total. She competed in her first Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 1984 where she won silver in the heptathlon, a 7-event competition. She returned to the Olympics in the 1988 Seoul South Korea games where she won 2 gold medals. She won her third gold medal in the 1992 games in Barcelona. She also competed in 1996 games in Atlanta where she earned bronze. 

She officially retired from sports in 2001 and founded the Jackie Joyner Kersee Youth Center Foundation to encourage youth sports in her hometown. In 1999, Sports Illustrated for Women named her the greatest female athlete of the 20^th century. In 2004 she was inducted into the U.S. Track and Field Hall of Fame. In 2007 she joined several notable athletes to establish the Athletes for Hope charitable foundation. Today, she is active as a volunteer and speaker. 

Maritza Correia 

Born in 1981, Maritza Correia became a star in the sport of swimming in high school and the Olympics. She made history by becoming the first Puerto Rican of African descent to become a member of a U.S. Olympic swimming team. Born in San Juan to parents from Guyana, Maritza was diagnosed with scoliosis as a child. Doctors suggested swimming as a treatment for the condition. In 1990, her family moved to Tampa, Florida. In high school, she joined the swim team and helped her team win multiple championships. She eventually competed in the 2004 Athens Olympic games and won a silver medal. 

She graduated from the University of Georgia in 2005 with a degree in sociology. We’re excited to see where the future takes her. 

Misty Copeland

In the world of ballet, one of the biggest stars right now is Misty Copeland. Born in 1982, she became the first African-American woman to be promoted to principal dancer for the American Ballet Theater. While many girls begin their journey in ballet at very young ages, Misty didn’t start until she was 13 and was quickly recognized as a prodigy. 

Today, along with dance, she’s a public speaker and has published two autobiographical books. In 2015, Time Magazine named her one of the world’s most influential people. In 2020, she co-founded the Swans for Relief fundraiser for COVID-19 relief. 

At Ladybug for Girls, we hope these women can be examples and demonstrate how physical fitness and a lifelong interest in sports or dance can lead to great things. Who do you admire?