Enveloped in a society where American sports are dominated by 68 percent of African-Americans, one can never imagine an America that has had a jarring history of racial rejection towards the "black athletes"; sports figures that were deemed irrelevant due to the color of their skin. Since the day Columbus' feet set ground on the lands of America, one would never expect the harsh reality that the African Americans had to face. From slavery to segregation, many factors played pivotal roles in breaking the color barrier, which sadly still exists today with a suppressed status. Throughout American history, countless African Americans, and even Caucasians have had dreams and aspirations in permanently ending the evils of racism throughout the world. Whether it was through the passive speeches of Martin Luther King, the brave souls of the Freedom Riders, or maybe even through the militant views of Malcolm X, many people have fought and even died for their beliefs that "Racism is evil."  However, today we take a deeper look into some people that were not necessarily overlooked, but definitely misunderstood. Misunderstood in a way, in which they were only viewed as "Sport Legends," "Hall of Famers," or maybe even to the lowly depths of "jocks." These sport legends that hit the hardwood floors, baseball fields, football fields, and even the boxing ring, have endured countless jeers that were based off of the color of their skins and not the abilities or contents of their character. The African American athletes that fought against racism so strongly did not just have a huge impact on their respective sports, but on the history of America. These impacts would be the original cogs of an American sports machine that thrives prosperously today in our lives. It was because of their countless actions, unselfish attitudes, and humble personalities, that all sports are integrated today all throughout the world. Integration between blacks and whites didn't come over time, nor did it develop through any "governmental schemes. The word "integration  is only known to man today, because of the countless brave African Americans that lived and died for their dreams to end the evils of racism. With all due respect to Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, or any other civil rights movement leader, if it wasn't for these courageous athletes that took the sports world by storm, segregation would probably still live today. However, their dreams never started on the glamorous stage of pro sports, but rather in poor homes. There corrupted pasts and ruptured memories, led them to their unending drive to make the world a better place for their children. For one man it started in the lands of Louisiana. Born in West Monroe, Louisiana on February 12, 1934, Bill Russell would become basketball's greatest legends and one of the first African Americans to touch a basketball in the world of pro sports. At a young age in Louisiana, the Russell family was always bothered and insulted because of their "black" skin color. The racist attacks and jeers of the Louisiana people, annoyed the Russell family very much, and by 1942, Bill Russell and his family would move out into Oakland, California. Although, his time spent at Louisiana was indeed jarring, Louisiana played an important role in his youth because it gave him a bigger sense of racism. Authors Jacobs and Roberts say, "That experience just made him that much more assertive about African-American rights as an adult  (58). However, as he moved into California, the racism was definitely still present, but more suppressed. At the age of 12