"Breaking the Barriers"

                                         Exhibit from the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum Travels to AAYTE

                                                “BREAKING THE BARRIERS” EXHIBIT CELEBRATES

HISTORY, ACHIEVEMENTS OF AFRICAN AMERICANS IN TENNIS

Two-Day Exhibit Spotlights ATA, Arthur Ashe, Althea Gibson and More

“Breaking the Barriers,” a special exhibit on loan from the International Tennis Hall of Fame Museum that honors the achievements of African Americans in tennis will be on display at the Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis and Education Center , 4842 Ridge Ave. in East Falls , on Friday, June 6 and Saturday, June 7. Admission is free.

“Breaking the Barriers” spotlights the American Tennis Association (ATA), the earliest African American sports organization. Founded in 1916, the ATA organized competitive tennis opportunities for black athletes, encouraged player dev elopement, and fought discrimination in the sport.

Special focus in the exhibit is on the familiar names of Arthur Ashe and Althea Gibson, both inductees at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport , RI . Ashe, inducted in 1985, was the first African American to capture a Grand Slam singles title – the US Open in 1968. In addition to his 13 titles and US Davis Cup play, Ashe was a humanitarian and a pioneer of causes for the underprivileged. Gibson was the first African American to win a major championship – the 1956 French Nationals. A 1971 inductee, Gibson, who attained the world No. 1 ranking, personified the beauty and power of the sport.

“Nothing could be more appropriate than for Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis and Education to bring this historical and meaningful exhibit to the residents of the Philadelphia area,” said Jerry L. Johnson, AAYTE Board Chairman. “It will introduce visitors to the little known achievements and courageous accomplishments of the ATA, and the men and women who have and continue to compete in ATA tournaments and events.”

The Ashe-Gibson legacy continues through today's black tennis pros, like Venus and Serena Williams, Chanda Rubin, James Blake, Angela Haynes, Jamea Jackson, and Donald Young.

There are many individuals who blazed new trails and paved the way for equality in tennis – Jimmie McDaniel, Dr. Reginald Weir, George Stewart, Tally Holmes, Gerald Norman, Lucy Diggs Slowe, Ora Mae Washington, and Dr. Robert Johnson, to name a few. “Breaking the Barriers” showcases the origins and history of the ATA, while presenting the unheralded people and their significant achievements in the growth of African-American tennis.

“Breaking the Barriers” will be on display on the mezzanine level, overlooking the indoor tennis courts, on Friday, June 6 from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday, June 7

from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.