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Today’s Black History WOW!
William DeHart Hubbard was born on November 25, 1903, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He excelled in academics and athletics, and he enrolled at the University of Michigan. He joined the track and field team, quickly establishing himself as a standout athlete. Hubbard’s determination propelled him to break multiple records in collegiate athletics.
The pinnacle of William DeHart Hubbard’s athletic career came in 1924 at the Paris Olympic Games. Competing in the long jump, Hubbard leaped an astounding 24 feet 5 1/2 inches, securing the gold medal. This historic victory marked Hubbard as the first African American to win an individual Olympic gold medal.
Hubbard also won several other track and field events. His achievements challenged stereotypes and opened doors for future generations of black athletes.
Hubbard graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in business and later earned a master’s degree in sociology. He was a member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity.
Upon college graduation, he accepted a position as the supervisor of the Department of Colored Work for the Cincinnati Public Recreation Commission. He remained in this position until 1941. He then accepted a job as the manager of Valley Homes, a public housing project in Cincinnati. In 1942 he moved to Cleveland, Ohio where he served as a race relations adviser for the Federal Housing Authority. He retired in 1969.
In addition to participating in track and field events, Hubbard was also an avid bowler. He served as the president of the National Bowling Association during the 1950s. He also founded the Cincinnati Tigers, a professional baseball team in the American Negro Leagues. In 1957, Hubbard was elected to the National Track Hall of Fame.
William DeHart Hubbard died in Cleveland in 1976. He was posthumously inducted into the University of Michigan Hall of Honor in 1979; he was part of the second class inducted into the Hall of Honor.
Omega Psi Phi, Incorporated, Phi Chapter, established a scholarship fund honoring William DeHart Hubbard; the fund is endowed through the University of Michigan and donations can be forwarded to the University of Michigan, The William DeHart Hubbard Scholarship Fund.
Today In Black History
In 1941, in response to a planned March on Washington by civil rights leader A. Philip Randolph, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued an executive order that forbade racial and religious discrimination in war industries, government training programs, and government industries. Randolph then called off the March.
In 1941, the Fair Employment Practices Commission was established.
In 1964, Rev. Prince A. Taylor was elected Bishop of the New Jersey District of the Methodist Church, becoming the first Black person to head a predominantly white district of the Methodist Church.
In 1975, the African nation of Mozambique declared its independence from Portugal.
In 1976, the Soweto uprising in South Africa left about 700 Black people and 2 white people dead after 10 days of rioting.
In 1979, Amalya Lyle Kearse became the first woman appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals.
In 1990, Nelson Mandela, the leader of the African National Congress at the time, met with President George H.W. Bush at the White House.
In 2021, former police officer Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 22 years and 6 months for the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
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