Don Barksdale: UCLA's pride

For those in the field of sports such as me, Mike Volitich, we appreciate that sports have been instrumental in bringing together people of different races and cultures. But decades ago, this was not the case as athletes of color had a much more difficult time because of social barriers and racial quotas. This, however, did not stop Don Barksdale from playing the game he loved.

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Barksdale was an African-American who was born in 1923 in Oakland, California. When he enrolled in Berkeley High School, he kept on trying out for the basketball varsity team. He was cut three times because the coach then implemented a rule that no more than one black player can be part of the team. He developed his basketball skills in parks and recreational facilities instead.

Image source: lasentinel.net

Earning a scholarship to UCLA, the 6-foot-6 Barksdale played center for the Bruins from 1946-1947. Sports enthusiasts from the school, like me, Mike Volitich, have surely heard of the name Donald Argee Barksdale, who became the first African-American basketball player to be named NCAA All-American.

He continued blazing the trail for athletes of color as he was also the first African-American to play for the U.S Olympic basketball team. In 1951, he was able to sign a contract in the NBA with the Baltimore Bullets as the league, which had just been established a few years prior, began to break the color barrier. Two years later, Barksdale became the first African-American to be selected to play in the NBA All-Star Game.

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