Wilma Rudolph was an African American woman who succeeded, despite all the odds being stacked against her. Born on June 23, 1940 into a large, poor family, she was a fighter from the start. She was born prematurely, weighing only 4.5 pounds, and was the 20th of 22 siblings. Her mother, Blanche, was a maid for wealthy white people, and her father, Ed, was a Railway Porter; he also worked odd jobs to make sure his family was provided for. Clarksville, Tennessee, where she grew up is approximately 47 miles northwest of Nashville. From the start, Wilma was very prone to getting sick, but when she was four years old, after being ill for an extended amount of time, her parents became especially worried and went to a specialist at Meharry Hospital …show more content…
When she returned home to Clarksville after the Olympics the Governor of Tennessee, Buford Ellington, a prominent segregationist, wanted to celebrate. “At her wishes, her homecoming parade and banquet were the first fully integrated municipal event in the city’s history” (Wikipedia).
Wilma received many awards during her time competing, including the Associated Press Woman of the Year and United Press Athlete of the Year Awards. Even more impressing, though, was that she was able to visit President John F. Kennedy in 1961. Following these accomplishments, in 1962, at the age of 22, Wilma, the “Fastest Woman Alive”, retired from her racing career and became an elementary school teacher as well as a track coach. When she quit, she said it was because “I couldn’t top what I did, so I’ll be remembered for when I was at my best” (Litsky).
While her competition days were behind her, the awards kept rolling in. To add to awards she had received in the early 1960s, she was given the National Black Sports and Entertainment Hall of Fame in 1973 and inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 1983. In 1983 she also started the Wilma Rudolph Foundation, which worked to help promote athletics in minority youth. “She did more than promote her country. In her soft-spoken, gracious manner, she paved the way for African-American athletes, both men and women, who came later”