Black history fact #23

Arthur Ashe (1943 - 1993) was a professional tennis player and AIDS activist. He is the first black man to be recruited by the US Davis Cup team. Ashe won 3 Grand Slam titles over his career. In 1968, he became the first black man to win the US Open title. Two years later, he won the Australian title. In 1975, he won the singles title at Wimbledon. That same year, Ashe became the first black man to be ranked No. 1 in the tennis world. On top of his accomplishments, Ashe is the first, and remains the only, black male player to win the singles title at Wimbledon and the US Open. In 1985, he became the first black man to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Ashe used his success and fame to create inner city tennis programs for youth and to found the Association of Men's Tennis Professionals. When he learned that he had contracted AIDS through a blood transfusion during heart surgery, Ashe turned his efforts to raising awareness about the disease.

Thank you Arthur Ashe for being a trailblazer!