AP African American Studies Flashcards: African Americans in Sports: Activism and Athletics
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
Review key ideas with interactive flashcards. This set includes 21 cards to help you master important concepts.
Describe the two main ways African American athletes have contested discrimination, according to the text.
Athletes have contested discrimination through their exceptional athletic achievements that break barriers and by using their public platforms for direct protest and advocacy for racial equality.
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Describe the two main ways African American athletes have contested discrimination, according to the text.
Athletes have contested discrimination through their exceptional athletic achievements that break barriers and by using their public platforms for direct protest and advocacy for racial equality.
How have African American athletes historically used their public platform?
They have used their achievements and visibility in sports to break racial barriers and advocate for racial equality on a national stage.
What issue did Colin Kaepernick's kneeling protest during the national anthem aim to highlight?
Frustrated by the prevalence of police brutality, Kaepernick and other NFL players began kneeling to bring that specific problem into the national spotlight.
What were the Negro leagues?
The Negro leagues were baseball associations founded by African Americans immediately after the Civil War due to racial segregation in sports, and they persisted until the 1960s.
Why did Muhammad Ali refuse to enlist in the U.S. Army for the Vietnam War?
Ali cited religious reasons and also protested the continued racism at home, stating that the 'real enemy' of his people was in the United States, not Vietnam.
When did African American jockeys have significant success in the Kentucky Derby?
Beginning with Oliver Lewis's win in 1875, most winners of the Kentucky Derby were African American until the early twentieth century.
How did the victories of Oliver Lewis and William Billy Walker in the Kentucky Derby demonstrate African American athletic prowess after the Civil War?
Their wins right after Reconstruction showed that African American athletes could excel at the highest levels, breaking barriers in a racially segregated sport.
What was the primary way African American athletes dealt with racial segregation in sports?
Due to racial segregation, African American athletes created their own athletic leagues, such as the Negro leagues for baseball and the Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes.
The experience of Jesse Owens winning four gold medals but facing racism at home is an example of what contradiction?
It exemplifies the contradiction of the United States celebrating the international achievements of its Black citizens while simultaneously subjecting them to racial discrimination at home.
What was the Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes?
Founded in 1895 by Black athletes in Halifax, Nova Scotia, it was a hockey league that predated the National Hockey League and established teams throughout Canada's Maritime provinces.
When did Colin Kaepernick begin his kneeling protest?
Colin Kaepernick and other NFL players began kneeling during the playing of the national anthem in 2016.
Who was Oliver Lewis?
Oliver Lewis was the African American jockey who won the inaugural Kentucky Derby in 1875, setting a precedent for Black jockeys to dominate the race until the early twentieth century.
The creation of the Negro leagues is a direct consequence of what policy in American sports?
The creation of the Negro leagues was a direct consequence of racial segregation, which barred talented African American players from participating in Major League Baseball.
What does Muhammad Ali's quote, 'The real enemy of my people is right here,' connect?
The quote connects the foreign conflict of the Vietnam War with the domestic struggle for civil rights, arguing that fighting racism at home was the more important battle for Black Americans.
Who was Jackie Robinson?
In 1947, Jackie Robinson became the first Black player in Major League Baseball, breaking the color barrier in the sport.
Who were Tommie Smith and John Carlos?
They were Olympians who participated in a nonviolent protest against racial discrimination by raising the Black power fist during their medal ceremony to show solidarity with the Black Freedom movement.
Who was Jesse Owens?
Jesse Owens was an African American Olympian who won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympics but returned home to face continued racial discrimination.
What year did Muhammad Ali refuse to enlist in the army?
Muhammad Ali refused to enlist in the United States Army and participate in the Vietnam War in 1967.
What was the broader impact of Colin Kaepernick's kneeling protest?
His peaceful protest inspired athletes in other sports to do the same, expanding the demonstration and bringing more national attention to the issue of police brutality.
What is the historical significance of the Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes predating the NHL?
Its earlier founding in 1895 demonstrates that Black athletes were organizing and creating professional-level sports leagues independently and before the establishment of some major white-dominated leagues.
What was the purpose of the Black power fist salute by Tommie Smith and John Carlos?
It was a nonviolent protest intended to show solidarity with the Black Freedom movement and to protest racial discrimination in the United States.