TOM MOLINEAUX

Tom Molineaux was an African-American boxer who started life as a slave. His first experiences boxing were against other slaves. Once he gained his freedom, Molineaux decided to continue his boxing to generate income. Molineaux won two bouts setting him up for a title shot against British heavyweight champion Tom Crib. In December of 1810, Molineaux challenged Crib in a classic encounter. After 39 rounds, Molineaux finally collapsed from exhaustion. There was a rematch, on September 28, 1811 but this time Crib had an easier time retaining his title with an 11th-round knockout. The two Crib fights made Molineaux a celebrity in England. In 1814, Molineaux defeated William Fuller in a two-round fight that lasted over an hour. Molineaux died in 1818.

OSCAR MCKINLEY CHARLESTON

Oscar Mckinley Charleston was born an American baseball player and manager who was considered by many to be the best all-around ball player in the history of the Negro leagues. He first played organized baseball while in the U.S. Army while stationed in the Philippines. Charleston was the only black player in the Manila League in 1914. He returned to Indianapolis in 1915 and signed on with the ABCs, the local Negro club for whom he had been a batboy as a child. The barrel-chested Charleston quickly made an impression with his expert play in centerfield and his lively bat, which helped the ABCs win a championship in 1916. A left-hander who hit for both power and average, he was best known for his exceptional speed, strong throwing arm, and volatile temper that often led to fights on and off the field. From 1932 to 1938, Charleston was player-manager for the Pittsburgh Crawfords. Charleston retired as a player in 1941 with a lifetime batting average of .357. He died in 1954 and was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1976.

JIMMY WINKFIELD

Jimmy Winkfield was an African-American horse jockey who began racing in 1898. Winkfield went from being the youngest of 17 in a family of sharecroppers, to racing for $8 a month and eventually, $1,000 a race. His racing statistics show him winning back-to-back Kentucky Derby's, (1901 on His Eminence, and 1902 on Alan-A-Dale). He was the last Black jockey to win a Kentucky Derby. Blacklisted after he broke a contract with one horse owner by riding for another, Winkfield accepted an offer to race in Russia, where he became a big star again. But, by 1917, as the Bolsheviks and the Communists rose to power, racing suffered from its association with wealth and aristocracy. So Winkfield led some 200 jockeys, trainers and owners overland to Poland a journey the group survived by eating their horses on the way. Winkfield eventually tallied over 2,600 racing victories retiring in 1930 and becoming a horse trainer. He died in 1974 and has yet to be inducted into the Thoroughbred Hall of Fame.