This book profiles some of the greatest African-American athletes of the past 150 years. They competed in sports ranging from boxing and horse racing to track and field, basketball, and baseball. As you'll discover, what these champions accomplished on the field of competition was often but a small part of their story. Read, for example, about how doctors thought Wilma Rudolph might never walk after a childhood bout of polio—but she went on to sprint her way to three Olympic gold medals. Or how the fiery Jackie Robinson silently endured a torrent of abuse in order to break baseball's "color barrier." Find out the connection between a stolen bike and Muhammad Ali's legendary boxing career. And learn how the African-American sports heroes of the past helped pave the way for superstars of the present, such as Kobe Bryant, Tiger Woods, and Candace Parker.