1901-1930  |

 1931-1960  |

 1961-1975  |

 1976-2016  |

1976

Alex Haley’s “Roots” achieves the highest rating to day for a single television program. (1977)

The 60th ATA Nationals moved to New Orleans, Louisiana.  Terrance Jackson wins the Men’s Singles Championship and Kim Sands captured the Women’s Singles title.  The Men’s Doubles Champions were Terrance Scott and Terrance Jackson.  Margo Tiff and Brenda Richards won the Women’s Doubles.  Marilyn Superville and Jessie Holt, Jr. were the Mixed Doubles Champions.

Bruce Foxworth and Roger Guedes from Hampton University won the NCAA II Doubles.

1977

The 61st ATA National Championships were held in New Orleans, LA.  The Men’s Singles title was won by Terrance Jackson and the Women’s Singles title won by Leslie Allen.

1978

In California v. Bakke, the US Supreme Court upholds affirmative action as a legal strategy for addressing past discrimination.

Franklin Thomas is named president of the Ford Foundation, the first African American to head a major philanthropic foundation. (1979)

The 62nd ATA Nationals were staged in Princeton, New Jersey.  Vanquishing the field, Rodney Harmon took the Men’s Singles title.  Joann Jacobs was victorious in the Women’s Singles event.  Rodney Harmon and Marell Harmon won the Men’s Doubles Championship.  The Women’s doubles title was won by Jean Burnett and Brenda Richardes.  Sallie Elam and Jessie Holt, Jr. captured the Mixed Doubles.

Andrea Whitmore and N. Bessent won the National Public Parks Mixed Doubles.

Kathy Foxworth and Lori Kosten won the U.S. Girls 14 Indoor Doubles.

1979

The 63rd ATA National Championships were held in Atlanta, GA.  The Men’s Singles winner was Warrick Jones and the Women

s Singles winner was Zina Garrison.

1980

Robert L. Johnson begins operations of Black Entertainment Television (BET) our of Washington, DC.

Zina Garrison and Lori McNeil won the U.S. Girls 18 Indoor Doubles, the U.S. Girls 16 Hard Court Doubles and the U.S. Girls 18 Clay Court Doubles.

Leslie Allen became the first black woman in the Open Era to play in the main draw of a professional tournament.

The 64th ATA National was staged in Atlanta, Georgia.  Kevin Belcher won the Mens Singles title and Zina Garrison won the Women’s title.

1981

The 65th ATA National Championships were held in Detroit, MI.  The Men’s Singles winner was Kelvin Belcher and the Women’s Singles title went to Lori McNeil.

1982

Bryant Gumbel is named the anchor of the Today Show.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is established as a federal holiday. (1983)

Leslie Allen won the Avon Championship, the first black woman since Althea Gibson to win a major title.

Chip Hooper achieves a career high singles ranking of number 17 in the world.

The 66th ATA National Championships were held in San Diego, CA.  Warrick Jones won the Men’s Singles Title and Lucy Bacerra won the Women’s title.

1983

The 67th ATA National Championships were staged in Boston, MA.  The Men’s Singles title was taken by Adrian Clark and the Women’s title was won by Lisa DeAngeles.

1984

Carl Lewis wins 4 gold medals at the Los Angeles Olympics.

Camille Benjamin reached the semi-finals of the French Open.

Two time All-American (Stanford) Lloyd Bourne reached the round of 16 at the Australian Open.

Todd Nelson reached the third round of the U.S. Open.

Jerome and Kelly Jones won the NCAA doubles championship for Pepperdine University.

The 68th ATA National Championships were held in Atlanta, GA.  The Men’s Singles title was won by Young Kwon and the Women’s championship by Shandra Livingston.

1985

The 69th ATA National Championships were staged in Washington, DC.  The Men’s Singles title went to Phillip Williamson and the Women’s Singles title to Kyle Copeland.

1986

The Oprah Winfrey Show becomes nationally syndicated.

Dr. Ronald McNair and 6 other crew members die when the Space Shuttle Challenger explodes shortly after launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Dr. Ben Carson makes medical history when he leads a 70 member surgical team at Johns Hopkins University Hospital in a 22 hour operation separating twins joined at the cranium. (1987)

Lori McNeil and Zina Garrison made tennis history during the Eckerd Tennis Open when they became the first two black players to meet in the championship of a major professional tennis tournament.

The 70th ATA National Championships were held in Chicago, IL.  Men’s Singles winner was Juan Farrow.  The Women’s Singles title went to Melissa Brown.

1987

The 71st ATA National Championships were staged in Oakland, CA.  The Men’s Singles title winner was Phillip Williamson and the Women’s Singles title went to Iwalani McCalla.

1988

Temple University offers first PhD in African American Studies.

General Colin Powell is first Black American named Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. (1989)

Zina Garrison teamed with Pam Shriver to win the Olympic gold medal for Women’s Doubles.  She also won the bronze medal for singles.

Mal Washington was named to the United States National Team.

Nelson Mandela, South African Black Nationalist, is freed after 27 years in prison.

Clarence is confirmed by the US Senate and takes his seat on the US Supreme Court (1991)

Zina Garrison reached the final at Wimbledon by beating Monica Seles, ending her 36 match winning streak, and by defeating Steffi Graf.  She became the first black woman to reach the final of a major since Althea Gibson in 1958.  Zina lost to Martina Navratilova in the Championship match.

The 72nd ATA National Championships were held in Austin, TX.  Men’s Singles winner was Noel Rutherford.  The Women’s Singles title went to Iwalani McCalla.

1989

The 73rd ATA National Championships were held in New Orleans, LA.  Men’s Singles winner was Gerard Gbedey.  The Women’s winner was Iwalani McCalla.

1990

The 74th ATA National Championships were hosted in New Orleans, LA.  Men’s Singles winner was Vincent Mackey.  The Women’s Singles titles went to Erica Adams.

1991

The 75th ATA National Championships were held in Washington, DC.  The Men’s Singles championship was won by Phillip Williamson.  The Women’s Singles title went to Iwalani McCalla.

1992

Carol Moseley Braun becomes the first African American woman elected to the US Senate.

Toni Morrison becomes the first black American to win the Nobel Prize for Literature.  (1993)

M. Jocelyn Elders becomes the first African American and the first woman to be named US Surgeon General. (1993).

Mashona Washington won the USTA National Indoor 18 Singles.

MaliVai Washington reached a career high of Number 11 in the world.

The 76th ATA National Championships were held in Boston, MA.  The Men’s Singles winner was Steve Campbell.  The Women’s title went Jeri Ingram.

1993

The 77th ATA National Championships were held in Richmond, VA.  The Men’s singles title again went to Steve Campbell.  The Women’s Singles title went to Tanya Edwards.

1994