Avenger of the Week | Alice Coachman, First Black Woman to Win an Olympic Gold Medal

As our country recognizes Black History Month and begins to celebrate the 2018 Winter Olympics, we could not think of a better Avenger of the Week than Alice Coachman. The first Black American woman to win a gold medal at the Olympics in 1948, Coachman dominated the high jump event, leaping to the record-breaking height of 5 feet 6⅛ inches over race and gender barriers. With that one jump, Coachman led the way for women like Maame Biney, the first Black woman to be selected as a speed skater for the U.S. Olympic Team, alpine skier Sabrina Wanjiku, the first woman to represent Kenya in the Winter Olympics, and U.S. Olympic bobsledder Vonetta Flowers, the first Black person to win a gold medal in the Winter Olympics. We will be thinking of Alice Coachman’s determination and hard work as we cheer on all of the Olympic athletes over the next few weeks.

With a record-breaking 5’6⅛” leap over race and gender barriers, Alice Coachman was the first Black American woman to win an Olympic gold medal and inspired generations of Black women athletes. #genderavenger #PyeongChang2018 #Olympics https://www.genderavenger.com/blog/avenger-of-the-week-alice-coachman