Sports are a vital piece of American history that has and will continue to be a unifying source that all can identify with and share. Through all the turbulent, tragic and controversial moments of American history, sports have been a fountain of hope in moments of social distress and have even served as a source of temporary recovery from the emotional and social wounds of America throughout its history.

The Olympics, World Cup, World Series and the Super Bowl are just a few of the many exciting sporting events that have caused a common interest among Americans.

These 20th century athletic moments included “The Play,” which occurred in the 1982 Stanford versus California game, or the “Immaculate Reception” caught by Franco Harris of the Pittsburg Steelers in 1972.

Sports have been one of the many cherished venues of American history.

They have allowed people to express talents outside of the sciences, politics or any other respected discipline. However it was, for a while, an accepted American limit of talent potential for African Americans.

Jesse Owens ran his way to four gold medals in the 1936 Olympics. Jim Brown in nine years during the 1950s and ’60s made himself into one of the best running backs in NFL history. Wilt Chamberlain began his illustrious professional career in 1958.

The careers and contributions of these African American athletes are profound and are cherished in the American history of athletic archives. Amidst these athletic glories, racial tension was not an evolution but a way of life in America, with the African American being segregated and disallowed of the equality of simple everyday occurrences of riding a bus or the usage of public drinking water. Life outside of sports for African Americans was an existence where a struggle for social acceptance and support was limited.

Today the sport continues to be an exciting and loved attraction for America and its people. But it is noteworthy, causing reflection of the greatness of where America has come. There was a time when African American social success mostly came in the form of sports. But now as we have witnessed a presidential election, we now know that a unified America has never been more evident.