On Aug. 7, 1948, Alice Coachman became the first Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal, triumphing in the high jump at the London Summer Games.
Born in Albany, Georgia, in 1923, Coachman dominated the Amateur Athletic Union’s outdoor high jump championship from 1939 to 1948.
Though the 1940 and 1944 Olympics were canceled due to World War II, she finally got her moment in 1948 — clearing 1.68 meters (5 feet, 6⅛ inches) on her first attempt.
Coachman also excelled in the 50-meter and 100-meter dashes.
She later became an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. Coachman was a true trailblazer.
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