#arthurashefoundation

[blackjewels5]

Professional tennis player who won three Grand Slam singles titles. He started to play tennis at six years old. He was the first black player selected to the United States Davis Cup team, and the only black man ever to win the singles title at Wimbledon, the US Open, and the Australian Open. He retired in 1980.Ashe is believed to have acquired HIV from a blood transfusion he received during heart bypass surgery in 1983. He publicly announced his illness in April 1992, and began working to educate others about HIV and AIDS. He founded the Arthur Ashe Foundation for the Defeat of AIDS and the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health before his death from AIDS-related pneumonia at the age of 49 on February 6, 1993. On June 20, 1993, he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by United States President Bill Clinton.

[djjfell]

Arthur Ashe was raised by his father after his mom died during pregnancy at age 27. He started playing tennis at age 7 and despite much discrimination, he became a tennis champion at Wimbledon, The US Open, and The Australian Open. He was also very active in the education of youth and in HIV/AIDS research. He was one of my heroes. I helped choose Arthur to speak at our college graduation, but sadly he passed away from pneumonia just three months before the ceremony. #arthurashe #arthurashecharterschool #arthurashefoundation #heroes (at Richmond, Virginia)