Washington, Kenny
1918-1971 · Contribution: 1946
Football player
First African American to sign an NFL contract in the modern post-World War II era
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Quick facts
- Born
- 1918, Los Angeles, California
- Active since
- 1946
- Category
- Sports & Athletics
- Best known for
- First African American to sign an NFL contract in the modern era
Impact on the world
Washington re-integrated professional football a year before Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color line, reopening a league that had quietly banned Black players since the early 1930s.
An alternative history
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Sources
- Book or scholarly workFind
Encyclopædia Britannica
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Related visionaries
Robinson, Jackie
1919-1972
Broke Major League Baseball's color barrier in the modern era
Pollard, Fritz
1894-1986
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Harris, James 'Shack'
1947-
First Black quarterback to start a season opener in the AFL or NFL (1969); first to start and win an NFL playoff game, and first named Pro Bowl MVP (1974)
O'Ree, Willie
1935-
First Black player in National Hockey League history