CBS Sports Network celebrates Black History Month with the premiere of Althea And Arthur, a documentary detailing the two very different legacies of Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe, the first African-Americans to cross the color barrier of international tennis. The one-hour special debuts on Monday, Feb. 18 at 9:00 PM EST.
The documentary, narrated by Tony Award-winning actress Phylicia Rashad, chronicles the significant impact Gibson and Ashe made not only to the world of tennis but also in advancing civil rights in America during a time of racism and segregation.
The film explores the dichotomy of Ashe as a revered civil rights icon and a “citizen of the world,” while Gibson remains largely forgotten, even after winning 11 total Grand Slam titles and integrating a second sport, professional golf, when her tennis career ended.
The documentary also highlights a group of girls from the ‘One Love Tennis’ group in Wilmington, NC, the city that Gibson called home during her high school years, who led a successful campaign to build an Althea Gibson memorial at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center in Queens, NY.
