The first female athlete in the United States Postal Service’s Black Heritage Series is a Florida A&M University alumna.
Althea Gibson was the first African-American to win several major tennis tournaments, including Wimbledon. And FAMU Alumni Association President Tommy Mitchell , who knew her when he was a child, says she had an impact off the court as well.
“From my perspective, she was a playground teacher. And obviously we liked her. But, we didn’t realize who was our playground teacher until she started to get the national recognition as a tennis star,” Mitchell says.
Gibson’s stamp features her dressed all in white during a match at Wimbledon, holding a period-correct wooden racquet as she stretches to attempt a volley.
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