Firsts in sports | Chris's Learning Journal

In 1958 a man named Willie O’Ree made his debut in the National Hockey League. He was with the Boston Bruins for two games. In 1961, after two years in the minors, O’Ree had played with them longer, 41 games. O’Ree never played another game in the NHL. This may not seem efficient, but O’Ree was different from every other player who played before him. He was black, and there wasn’t another Negro in the NHL for 25 years. The NHL was about 10 years behind every other sport in letting Negros play. Today people don’t remember Willie O’Ree as the first black hockey player but his presence let other African Americans in.

Hall of gamer Bill Willis played a crucial role in breaking the color burier in the National Football League. He made his official debut on. In the eight years he played for the Cleveland Browns from 1946 through 1953, he was a first-team All-League selection seven times and a second-team choice once. He also played in three NFL Pro Bowls. He was known for his strong charge towards the quarterback and had coaches thinking he was off-sides. He died November 27, 2007.

Earl Lloyd became the first African-American to play in the National Basketball Association on October 31, 1950. Lloyd started at power forward with an emphasis on power, for the 1954-55 NBA champion Syracuse Nationals, who moved to Philadelphia in 1963 to become the 76ers. He joined an all white team which he described as “Frightening.” Lloyd didn’t have a huge impact on anybody at that era but then recognized later on.

One of Jackie’s main accomplishments was obviously the fact that he was the first African-American to play Major League Baseball. When he first started, no one except the manager liked him, not the fans or even his teammates. But by the end of his career he earned everyone’s respect not just for him playing the game but as a person as well. In 1949 he was named baseballs most valuable player. In 1962 Jackie Robinson was inducted into the Hall of Fame. After he retired from baseball in 1956, Robinson was an outspoken champion in the Civil Rights movement. He influenced millions, that African-Americans shouldn’t just be able to play baseball together, but are to be treated equal to one another.