Draft:The Philadelphia Tribune Girls


The Philadelphia Tribune Newsgirls were a groundbreaking all-Black, female basketball team organized in the 1930s by the Philadelphia Tribune. At a time when both race and gender barriers severely restricted access to organized sports, this team offered young Black women a new and rare chance to compete. Under the leadership of Tribune sports editor O.W. Carpenter, the Newsgirls quickly gained fame in Philadelphia, drawing crowds to their exhibition games and challenging ideas about women’s roles in sports. Their skill and determination shined as they played against both men’s and women’s teams, inspiring pride in the Black community and changing perceptions about women in sports. Although some treated their games as something unfamiliar and different, the Newsgirls created a space for pushing back against discrimination and limitations of their era. They became a symbol of resilience and used the power of sports to uplift African American women before the civil rights movement took full force.


Wiggins, David; Swanson, Ryan (2016). Separate Games