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Home > Here & Now > 25 at 250: Althea Gibson's winning racket and Muhammad Ali's Olympic torch
Podcast: Here & Now
Episode:

25 at 250: Althea Gibson's winning racket and Muhammad Ali's Olympic torch
Category: News & Politics
Duration: 00:18:27
Publish Date: 2026-02-20 13:00:00
Description: Althea Gibson was a pioneer in women's sports. She broke the color barrier in tennis and golf, winning at the U.S. Open, French Open and Wimbledon in the late '50s. Smithsonian curator Eric Jentsch talks about her legacy through the lens of one of her outfits and tennis rackets. And, nearly 30 years ago, Muhammad Ali held a torch and lit a cauldron to kick off the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Damion Thomas, curator of sports for the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, talks about why that moment was so emotional at the time and why it still resonates today.

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