Athletes have always been seen as role models, as heroes, as gifted individuals who can entertain and inspire their fans with acts of grace, strength, agility, and skill. From ice hockey to track and field, from tennis to boxing, African Americans have excelled in every major sport. From the late 19th century through to the present day, many of the most respected and well-known personalities in professional and amateur sports have been African Americans. African-American Athletes highlights those athletes, men and women, who have competed at the highest levels in one or more sports and set new standards of accomplishment for those who have followed them.

Each entry provides an exciting and enlightening biographical profile, concentrating on the events in that person’s life related to his or her accomplishments in sports, followed by an up-to-date further reading list on that individual. A general introduction orients the reader to African Americans in sports, subject indexes list each athlete by year of birth and by sport, and a general bibliography lists other resources on the topic. The general reader, the student, and the sports fan will find the information contained in this book fascinating and easy to access.

Profiles include:
* Hank Aaron: baseball outfielder
* Muhammad Ali: boxer
* Arthur Ashe: tennis player
* Dominique Dawes: gymnast
* Flo Hyman: volleyball player
* Jack Johnson: boxer
* Michael Jordan: basketball guard
* Jackie Joyner-Kersee: track and field heptathlete
* Isaac Murphy: jockey
* Walter Payton: football running back
* Serena and Venus Williams: tennis players
* Tiger Woods: golfer