First black American sports stars were n't basketball players -- they were jockeys . Many became skilled horse handlers while working as slaves in the south . Today , just a few black jockeys compete on U.S. race tracks . Comment:
First black American sports stars were n't basketball players -- they were jockeys . Many became skilled horse handlers while working as slaves in the south . Today , just a few black jockeys compete on U.S. race tracks . Horse racing now dominated by Latino riders .