Jack Johnson
Jack Johnson became the first black heavyweight boxing champion when he defeated Canadian Tommy Burns in Australia in 1908.
Gertrude Ederle
Gertrude Ederle was the first woman to swim across the English Channel, challenging the stereotype that women cannot accomplish impressive feats.
Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson became the first African American to play professional baseball in the MLB. Aside from being the one to break the barrier, Robinson was a civil rights leader working with the likes of activists such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Kathy Switzer
Kathy Switzer was the first woman to run in the Boston Marathon. She enrolled under an unidentifying name, but during the race an official tried to pull her off the course. She evaded them and kept running until she completed the race.
Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King led the fight for equality off the tennis court as she continued her success on the court in the 1970s. She campaigned for equal prize money for both men and women and started the Women's Sports Foundation.
Arthur Ashe
Tennis star Arthur Ashe campaigned against the South African Apartheid government and pushed for social justice in the United States during the 1980s. Later in his life, he was a huge advocate for health and AIDS awareness.
Tom Waddell
Former decathlete Tom Waddell, who had competed in the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, organized the inaugural Gay Games in 1982, which continues to occur every four years. These games allow athletes of all identities to participate in competition in an inclusive environment.
USWNT
The United States Women's National Soccer Team led the fight for equal pay when they filed a lawsuit against the United States Soccer Federation for compensation-based discrimination.
Lebron James
Lebron James has been a prominent sports activist for most of the 21st century. He has contributed money, time, and assistance to various communities through the Lebron James Family Foundation. In 2020, he helped start More Than A Vote, an advocacy group that protects black voting rights and combats voter suppression.
Layshia Clarendon & Britney Griner
In 2017, WNBA stars Layshia Clarendon and Britney Griner wrote an op-ed against a Texas bill that would require transgender people to use the bathrooms for the gender they were assigned at birth.
Maya Moore
WNBA player Maya Moore forgoed participating in the season to focus on her criminal justice reform efforts. She helped overturn an imprisoned man's conviction sentence, and has inspired other athletes to focus on helping others and activism rather than their sport.