African Americans in the world of sports, television, and films.

The story of African-Americans in sports, television, and films demonstrates the continued fight for the inclusion of African American culture in society. Despite the severe racial, social, and economic barriers that African Americans have been subjected to throughout history, there have been notable individuals who have risen above the challenges and shattered all expectations.

Black actors have persevered. Early successes opened doors for future projects and creators to depict the Black experience more authentically. Known as the Godfather to Black Hollywood, broke color barriers in the United States and became the first Black actor to win an Academy Award for best actor in “Lilies of the Field” in 1964.

The director-writer-actor Spike Lee produced more than 35 films since 1983, and he made his directorial debut with She's Gotta Have It. In 2002 Halle Berry became the first African American woman to win an Academy Award for best actress, for her performance in Monster’s Ball (2001). African Americans Will Smith, Denzel Washington, Eddie Murphy, and Dwayne Johnson were among the most popular and acclaimed actors of the mid-21st century

Achievements by African Americans in the field of broadcast journalism included those of Ed Bradley, who became one of the interviewers for the television newsmagazine 60 Minutes in 1981, and Bryant Gumbel, who became co-host of The Today Show in 1982. A former anchor on a local news desk, Oprah Winfrey started a popular daytime talk show in the 1980s that became a cultural phenomenon. She established her own television and film production companies, and her media entertainment empire made her one of the richest and most influential women in the United States.

Moving on to sports, Jackie Robinson is recognized as the first African-American baseball player in the Major Leagues. He became baseball’s first Rookie of the Year and later became NL MVP, a six-time All-Star, and a World Series champion over his 10-year career. Many of the outstanding players in the history of basketball have been African Americans, not least Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Magic Johnson, and Michael Jordan. In football, Walter Payton, Jim Brown, Jerry Rice, Jim Marshall, and Fritz Pollard, among many others, have set records.

Muhammad Ali was the world heavyweight champion who served as one of the most visible athletes during the civil rights movement. In tennis, Arthur Ashe became the first black tennis player to Win Three Grand Slam Titles, Althea Gibson became the first African American to compete in International Tennis and to win a Grand Slam title, and Venus and Serena Williams have all been at the top of the game of tennis now.

In track and field, Jesse Owens won four Olympic gold medals in 1936, and Wilma Rudolph became the first American woman to win three track gold medals in a single Olympics.

In brief, African Americans have faced so many obstacles throughout history, but they have never given up. They have persevered and achieved their goals despite the situations. All the people mentioned in this article are an example of the talent and determination African Americans have had and they have become role models for future generations.