Reflections of a People
Few athletes have used their public prominence as effectively for the greater good as did Arthur Ashe. In 1968, he helped create the USTA National Junior Tennis League. In 1970, to bring world attention against apartheid, he called for South Africa to be expelled from the International Lawn Tennis Federation, and to further make his point, he applied for, and was denied, a visa to travel there. South Africa yielded to pressure in 1973, allowing Ashe, the first black pro ever, to play in its national championship. Arthur's activism for civil rights never ceased. Arthur's early love of reading evidenced itself as he took up writing. He spent six years researching the material for his 1988 book, A Hard Road to Glory: A History of the African American Athlete. Nelson Mandela was among those who found this a compelling look at civil rights in the world of sport. He also wrote, with a co-author for each, Arthur Ashe on Tennis, Days of Grace, and Arthur Ashe, Portrait in Motion.
