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Breaking The Barriers 

Launch Party & ATA Fundraiser

On December 18, 2020, we commemorated our 104th Anniversary and celebrated the launch of the International Tennis Hall of Fame's groundbreaking exhibit.  Below is the recording of our session for your reference.

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The Exhibit:  Breaking Barriers

The ATA and Black Tennis Pioneers

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The International Tennis Hall of Fame has launched a new digital museum exhibit that offers a comprehensive look at the history of Black tennis in America.   The exhibit highlights more than 120 years of Black tennis history in America, featuring the inspiring stories of well-known champions and many other great players and leaders who fought racial discrimination to pursue equal opportunity in the sport.

Breaking The Barriers:  The ATA and Black Tennis Pioneers features a multimedia timeline spanning more than 120 years of Black tennis history, as well as a concurrent timeline of African American history overall. The exhibit chronicles the struggles and evolution of Black tennis, and the lives and careers of Black tennis champions from the early 1900s through today.  

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Breaking The Barriers is largely focused on the history of Black tennis in America, and it is part of a multi-faceted initiative by the International Tennis Hall of Fame to educate fans and shine a spotlight on Black tennis history. Additional programs in development include a future exhibit looking at Black tennis history on a global scale, virtual programs with guest speakers in February 2021, and an Arthur Ashe virtual reality experience in the museum based on the 1968 US Open.

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Through dynamic imagery and video interviews from the International Tennis Hall of Fame collection, Breaking The Barriers explores what was happening in Black tennis during five distinct time periods of African American history: Creative Survival (1874-1910); Entrée (1910-1938); Reform (1938-1955); Participation (1955-1965); and Liberation (1965-Present).

About the International Tennis Hall of Fame

The International Tennis Hall of Fame (ITHF) is a non-profit organization that preserves and promotes the history of tennis and celebrates its champions, thereby serving as a vital partner in the growth of tennis globally. The ITHF is located in Newport, Rhode Island in the United States, with Hall of Famers hailing from 27 nations around the world. The Hall of Fame honors these legends and chronicles the sport’s history in a comprehensive interactive museum in Newport and programming to celebrate the sport around the world. For information on the International Tennis Hall of Fame and its programs, visit tennisfame.com

Session Speakers Included:

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Art Carrington

Art Carrington published the book Black Tennis, An Archival Collection: 1890-1962.  Art is the official historian for the ATA and he runs the Carrington Tennis Academy based at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts.

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To order Art's Book see below.

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Dale Caldwell, Ph. D. 

Dr. Dale G. Caldwell is an adjunct professor and the executive director of the Rothman Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Silberman College of Business at Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU). He is also the host of the TV show Family Business World and the Founder of the Dale Caldwell Foundation.

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Douglas Stark

Museum Director, International Tennis Hall of Fame. Under his leadership, the museum underwent a $3 million renovation to the visitor experience in 2015, initiated a long-term digitization project of its entire collection along with award-winning online digital exhibits.

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Gary Cogar

Former Museum Director of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. In this role, he led in the development of the physical Breaking The Barriers exhibit

Art Carrington's book Black Tennis is available for sale.  Please complete the order form Below

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