Althea Gibson wins Wimbledon 1957
Ahead of its PBS premiere, ALTHEA , the story of tennis champion Althea Gibson (1927-2003), will screen at the Schomburg Center on August 25.
Gibson emerged as the unlikely queen of the highly segregated tennis world in the 1950s.
Bringing a fierce athleticism to the game, she was the first African American to play and win at Wimbledon and the U.S. Nationals.
Gibson’s life and achievements transcend sports, and are part of African-American history.
ALTHEA explores Gibson’s roots as a sharecropper’s daughter, her family’s migration north to Harlem in the 1930s, and her mentors boxer Sugar Ray Robinson , former New York City Mayor David Dinkins and others.
Produced and directed by Rex Miller , the documentary includes interviews with Dinkins, Wimbledon champion Dick Savitt and Billie Jean King , who also serves as one of the film’s executive producers.
The Films at the Schomburg screening will be followed by a Q&A with Miller, Mayor Dinkins, former ATA, NCAA and WTA champion Leslie Allen , and former ATA champion and longtime friend of Althea Gibson Art Carrington .
Seating is first come, first serve to RSVP asap.
ALTHEA premieres on THIRTEEN and on PBS stations nationwide Friday, September 4, 2015 (check local listings) during the U.S. Open.
When
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
6:30 PM to 8:30 PM (EDT)
Where
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
515 Malcolm X Blvd
New York, NY 10037
Cost
Free
RSVP
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