48 Different “First” Photos Throughout the History of Photography

Jackie Robinson is often assumed to be the first African American athlete to play for Major League Baseball. However, that title technically goes to a man named Moses Fleetwood Walker. Walker joined the Toledo Blue Stockings during the 1884 baseball season, making him the first Black man to play professional baseball. 

Walker played with the Toledo Blue Stockings for 42 games before he had to leave due to an injury. Walker faced intense racism and harassment during his time as a professional baseball player. He remained the only African American major league player until Jackie Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, almost 60 years later.