Celebrating Black History Month at AYTEF

At AYTEF, we believe it’s important not just to play tennis—but to understand the history and stories that shape our world. This February, we took time to honor Black History Month by learning about powerful changemakers who have left a lasting impact in sports, music, civil rights, and beyond.

Our students worked hard all month long creating timelines that highlighted the lives and legacies of influential Black Americans. They chose their own figures to research and got to work turning their knowledge into colorful, informative posters. We saw tributes to athletes, musicians, activists, and inventors—and each timeline told a story of strength, determination, and change.

After finishing their projects, we took the celebration online! We posted each timeline on AYTEF’s Instagram and invited our community to vote for their favorites. The support and engagement were amazing!

And the winner? Drumroll please…

Our top-voted timeline featured tennis icon Althea Gibson—a true trailblazer who broke barriers in the sport and paved the way for generations of players to come. Her story really hit home for our young athletes, and it was inspiring to see how much her legacy resonated with them.

We’re so proud of all the students who participated and brought these important stories to life. Black History Month at AYTEF was a time of learning, reflection, and creativity—and it reminded us just how powerful representation and legacy can be.

Thank you to our students for their hard work, and to our community for celebrating with us!