Women have had the hardest time breaking into American society.
They didn't even have the right to vote until 1920 but African-American women were even further behind.
Not until recently have they come along way.
Doors have been opened that were once shut ever so tightly; and they were intellectual enough, strong enough and tenacious enough to break through the small cracks.
In sports, American women have always been the last to reap the benefits of athletic success. In just the last 60 years African-American women have been allowed to showcase their talent.
Willye White competed as a member of the 1956 Olympic team at the age of 16.
She won a silver medal in the long jump and became the first American female to medal in that event.
She was a member of the next four United States Olympic teams and she also won another silver in the 1964 Tokyo games in the 4x100 meter relay.
White is the only American to have competed on five Olympic track and field teams.
Jackee Joyner-Kersee followed in her footsteps by first choosing the long jump as her first event before moving to the heptathalon.
Joyner-Kersee is one of the greatest athletes in history.
She was one of the first women to take advantage of the Title XI rule passed in 1972 which mandated equal access to sports for men and women all over the country.
Joyner-Kersee did for the heptahalon what Bruce Jenner did for the decathalon.
She still holds the world record she captured in the heptathalon at the Olympic Games in Seoul Korea scoring 7,261 points.
"I really admire Jackee Joyner Kersee," junior Barbara Wine said. "She has really done a lot for the sport, she has worked very hard to get to where she is."
Track and Field is just one sport where women have broken through.
Cheryl Miller, Sheryl Swoopes, Cynthia Cooper, are some of the most well known women in basketball today.
Swoopes can best be remembered as the only women to play one-on-one with Michael Jordan, following the pattern set by Miller.
Swoopes led the Texas Tech Red Raiders to a 58-8 season in 1993 as well as taking a NCAA championship.
She was named National Player of the Year and NCAA Final Four most valuable player when she set the NCAA championship game scoring record for men or women with 47 points in Tech's win 84-82 over Ohio State.
Swoopes participated in the 1996 and 2000 Olympic games.
She also joins the ranks of several NBA players with her own shoe, the Air Swoopes by Nike.
"Sheryl Swoopes, Cynthia Cooper, Cheryl Miller and Lisa Leslie are all role models for us to follow, they have helped to break barriers not just for black women but for all women." said Deanna Farr, forward for the Lady Tiger basketball team.
There are many more who have helped to take athletics to a higher level.
Flora Hyman is widely considered to be the best player in the history of the US women's volleyball program and is well known for her spiking abilities.
Venus and Serena Williams are well known for their fierceness on the tennis court.
African-American women in athletics have not only made the sports world a better place for themselves but for all women.
Doors have been opened and the proof has been shown that no matter what the color of your skin your talent will always make you rise to the top.
