Vonetta Flowers, Shani Davis, Yannick Bonheur and Vanessa James are not household name but they are history makers.
Vonetta Flowers was a star sprinter and long jumper at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and originally aspired to make the U.S. Summer Olympic Team. Flowers turned to bobsledding, and found success as a brakewoman almost immediately. At the 2002 Winter Olympics, she, along with driver Jill Bakken, won the gold medal in the two-woman event, becoming the first black person to win a gold medal in the Winter Olympics.
Shani Davis became the first Black athlete (from any nation) to win a gold medal in an individual sport at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games, winning the speedskating 1000 meter event. He also won a silver medal in the 1500 meter event. At the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, he duplicated the feat, becoming the first man to successfully defend the 1000 meter gold medal, and repeating as 1500 meter silver medalist.
Vanessa James and Yannick Bonheur of France were the first black couple to compete in Olympic pairs skating at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic.
Chronicles of Education.... 