The day before the HBCU Showcase track and field meet at the Armory, student-athletes from Hampton University got to see a bit of New York City, including a visit to the New-York Historical Society, where they saw the “Running for Civil Rights” exhibit. The exhibit details the work of two African American track and field innovators: Ted Corbitt, the first Black athlete to represent the U.S. in the Olympic marathon, and Joseph Yancey, a co-founder of the interracial New York Pioneer Club in Harlem.
“We wanted to show the really rich tradition of track and running here in the city and the larger impact that it’s had on folks, the nation, and the world around us,” said Allison Robinson, co-curator of the exhibit, which opened in October and runs until February 25. While the focus is on New York City, there are mentions of other activism in the track world during the decades covered (1936–’76).
Robinson said she hopes the Hampton student-athletes were inspired by seeing what came before them and the positive impact of sport. “They can carry that forward,” she said. “It’s important that people understand how much running has had an important place in both the Black community here in New York City and as a sport that brings people together across races. It unites people.”
The Hampton Pirates in attendance were both moved and impressed by the exhibit, particularly learning of Corbitt’s role in meticulously planning the route of the New York City Marathon. Nya Harmon, a thrower and a chemical engineering /material science major and pharmacy minor, said the exhibit made her appreciate the work others put in so she could compete. “To defeat segregation while also bringing people together—that’s what track is,” she said.
Assistant coach Eric Smalls had heard about Yancey and Corbitt, and was pleased to learn more about them. He was also excited for the Hampton student-athletes to compete at the HBCU Showcase. “It’s always great when you can get a group of HBCUs in a competition together. We’re always a family when we’re around each other,” he said.
Maurice Pierce, Hampton’s director of track & field, said the exhibit showed the student-athletes the importance of learning the sport’s history, particularly distance running. “Anytime we travel, we try to get some education out of it,” he said.
