List of sports desegregation firsts

This is a list of sports desegregation firsts. Within each section, the entries are in chronological order by achievement.

Major League Baseball

William Edward White (1860–1937), believed to be the first African American to play in the major leagues, appearing in one game on June 21, 1879
Moses Fleetwood Walker (1856–1924), first openly African-American player. (White passed as white.)
Jackie Robinson (1919–1972), first African American to play in Major League Baseball in the modern era
Larry Doby (1923–2003), second African American to break the color barrier, first in the American League
Steve Bellán (1849–1932), first Latin American, depending on whether or not the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players is considered a major league
Lou Castro (1876–1941), the first Latin American, if not Bellán
Louis Sockalexis (1871–1913), a member of the Penobscot tribe, often considered the first player of Native American ancestry
Jim Toy (1858–1919), another possible, disputed candidate for first Native American player
Moses J. Yellow Horse (1898–1964), first full-blooded Native American player, from the Pawnee tribe
Masanori Murakami (born 1944), first Japanese player

Fritz Pollard (1894–1986), one of the first two African-American players and the first head coach
Bobby Marshall (1880–1958), one of the first two African-American players
Lou Molinet (1904–1976), first Hispanic, Cuban and Latin American player
Walter Achiu (1902–1989), first player of east Asian descent

Wataru Misaka (1923–2019), first non-white player and first of Asian descent
Nathaniel Clifton (1922–1990), Chuck Cooper (1926–1984) and Earl Lloyd (1928–2015), the first African Americans in the NBA, with Lloyd being the first to play in a game

Larry Kwong (1923–2018), first player to break the color barrier in hockey and first of Asian descent
Willie O'Ree (born 1935), first black player
Fred Sasakamoose (1933-2020), first First Nations player with treaty status
Bill Guerin (born 1970), first player of Hispanic descent

Althea Gibson (1927–2003), first African American to play in the United States National Championships, now the US Open
Bob Ryland (1920-2020), first African-American professional player and first to compete in the NCAA National Championships
Arthur Ashe (1943–1993), first African American selected to the United States Davis Cup team

Sewsunker Sewgolum (1928–1978), first person of color to win a provincial open in South Africa, the 1963 Natal Open
Althea Gibson (1927–2003), first African American to join the LPGA tour, in 1964

Andrew Watson (1856–1921), considered the first black person to play association football at the international level
Arthur Wharton (1865–1930), widely considered to be the first black professional footballer in the world

James Robertson (c. 1854–1900), Scottish rugby union player reputed to be the first black rugby union player in the world

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