Black History

Three Minneapolis women who broke cheerleading color barriers

MINNESOTA SPOKESMAN-RECORDER — Prior to 1923, cheerleading had been an exclusively White male activity. That year, the University of Minnesota (U of M) became the first school in America to allow female cheerleaders. It remained an all-White activity there, however, until Dana Purdue Williams became the first African American cheerleader at the U of M in 1975.

Published

6 years ago

April 1, 2019

Ken Foxworth

By Ken Foxworth

Two trailblazing cheerleaders were recognized at St. Peter’s Church in Minneapolis: (l-r) Harriet Bowman Solomon, Gwendolyn Morrow Fraction; Rev. Carla Mitchell, pastor of St. Peter’s; and former Minneapolis Public Schools.superintendent Dr. Carolyn Johnson.

Few people realize that not only did women athletes cheerleading at sporting events originate right here in Minnesota, but also several strong African American women made Black history here by breaking the cheerleading color barrier.

Prior to 1923, cheerleading had been an exclusively White male activity. That year, the University of Minnesota (U of M) became the first school in America to allow female cheerleaders. It remained an all-White activity there, however, until Dana Purdue Williams became the first African American cheerleader at the U of M in 1975.

Below are Williams’ story and two other earlier cheerleading firsts that inspired her to pursue her own dream.

Gwendolyn Morrow Fraction

A 1950 Minneapolis North High School graduate, Fraction became in 1949 the first African American cheerleader in the state of Minnesota. Upon graduation, she worked for Northwestern Bell and in banking, insurance, and accounting. At age 85, Fraction still volunteers in the community and is known for her beautiful voice.

Following in her mother’s footsteps, Fraction’s daughter Cindy became a cheerleader for Washburn High School, graduated in 1983, and is now program director of research at the University of St. Thomas.

Harriet Bowman Solomon

A 1951 Central High School graduate, Solomon watched her brothers play football and other extracurricular activities. Her brother Earl Wesley Bowman attended college on a football scholarship, played baseball at a major university, played semi-pro football, and became the first African American president of Minneapolis Community College. Her other brother, Henry Bowman, was a member of the Tuskegee Airmen as well as a Big 10 regional player.

Harriet wanted to establish her own legacy and accomplished this through cheerleading. She was the first African American cheerleader at Minneapolis Central High in 1950 and later worked for Northwestern Bell. After retirement in 1995, she volunteered at McRae Park.

Edward C. Soloman Park near Lake Nokomis in Minneapolis was named after Harriet’s husband for his outstanding contribution to the Minneapolis park system as a board member and a volunteer at McRae Park

Dana Purdue Williams

This 1975 Washburn High School graduate who went on to become the U of M’s first Black cheerleader says that at an early age she watched her mother, Harriet Bowman Solomon, cheerleading in the kitchen, living room, or anywhere else where she had space and a chance. She also watched her best friend Gwendolyn Morrow Fraction doing the same, all while having fun.

MSR News Online/MSR News Online Dana Purdue Williams as a U of M cheerleader in 1975

Williams recalls her mother enrolling her in ballet classes at the tender age of six. At age 10 she attended the Minnesota Dance Theater children’s workshop, where she became an apprentice and mastered the program by age 15.

She thought all of that experience and her mom’s example put her in position to make Minnesota Gopher history. “When I saw the 1975 tryout poster for the University of Minnesota cheerleading squad,” Williams says, “I truly knew that I was ready to go complete. I saw myself being a Gopher cheerleader at the age of seven. I planned this all my life, and no one was going to stop me from pursuing my dream!”

As Williams took her inspiration from predecessors Fraction and Solomon, so did she take their career advice, becoming a flight attendant for 40 years at Delta/Northwest Orient Airlines. She now works as an ambassador for Delta Airlines, visiting their headquarters in Atlanta, GA to inspire and motivate future flight attendants to be all that they can be for the customers and the company.

Williams has also has been giving back to her community through the years by helping young inner-city girls and working with football camps at McRae Park in South Minneapolis.

Cheerleading history’s importance

The most important thing in sports is not just the games and their players — it’s the fans and their enthusiasm that makes the games so wonderful. And who is it that gets the fans yelling themselves raw cheering on their teams to victory? That’s what the cheerleaders do, though rarely do they get credited for their athletic contributions to the sports world.

Not so long ago, cheerleading was the only opportunity for girls to be seen and heard as athletes at their schools, colleges and universities. Before the Title IX federal civil rights law came into effect in 1973, girls did not have the same opportunities as boys to develop their skills in sports. The only thing they could do was to go out on that field and cheer on their team.

Fraction, Solomon and Williams all made important strides for Black women athletes between 1949 and 1975. Thanks to them and many others like them, girls around the Twin Cities can now aspire not only to become cheerleaders in high school and their respective universities and colleges. Now they can aspire to compete as athletes in any sport that captures their dreams.

This article originally appeared in the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.

Ken Foxworth

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2024 in Review: 7 Questions for Equality California Political Director Shay Franco-Clausen

Shay Franco-Clausen is an award-winning public advocate, speaker, political strategist and former elected official. She has contributed her thought leadership to drafting seventeen pieces of legislation in California. Notable among these accomplishments is her role in extending the statute of limitations for felony domestic violence survivors, advocating for the rights of foster youth, preserving endangered open spaces, and championing the restoration of voting rights for individuals on parole.

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Shay Franco-Clausen Equality California Political Director (Facebook).

By Edward Henderson, California Black Media

Shay Franco-Clausen is Political Director for Equality California, the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization.

Franco-Clausen is an award-winning public advocate, speaker, political strategist and former elected official. She has contributed her thought leadership to drafting seventeen pieces of legislation in California. Notable among these accomplishments is her role in extending the statute of limitations for felony domestic violence survivors, advocating for the rights of foster youth, preserving endangered open spaces, and championing the restoration of voting rights for individuals on parole.

California Black Media (CBM) spoke with Franco-Clausen about her successes, frustrations and future plans heading into 2025.

Looking back at 2024, what stands out to you as your most important achievement and why? 

In the role that I sit in as the political director for Equality California, we endorsed 216 candidates. I think the one achievement after this election that I’m proud of is that we overturned Prop 8 to protect same-sex marriages here because they’re about to attack our rights on the federal level, come 2025.

I’m glad at least we changed our California constitution to reflect and protect my marriage.

How did your leadership and investments contribute to improving the lives of Black Californians? 

I contribute through my lived experience. I may have achieved a lot, but I come from those same communities that are marginalized, East Oakland, East San Jose, Watts. It gives me a different perspective. I am a formerly incarcerated youth who was in foster care. I think I contribute that bit of understanding, and I operate from an equity lens. I’m willing to push people to make them recognize that hey, you cannot forget about Black people. We are the most marginalized.

What frustrated you the most over the last year?

What frustrates me is our inability to recognize that we forget people. I was tapped to work on the Harris campaign from Equality California. And through that, being at that table, I was frustrated that they weren’t listening to Americans and not looking at the data.

The reason Trump won is because he had consistent messaging, and we didn’t debunk it. I think I’m more frustrated that we don’t fully listen to people all the time when they’re critiquing us.

What inspired you the most over the last year?

All those people that came out to support Kamala Harris. I was proud that my son voted for the first time for a Black woman for President.

What is one lesson you learned in 2024 that will inform your decision-making next year?

Be fearless. Sometimes I second-guess myself. I push back, but I could push more because I’m qualified. I have the education, I have the experience, and I know what I’m talking about in all the rooms that I go in. And I must be confident in that.

In one word, what is the biggest challenge Black Californians face?

Prioritization.

We’re still not seen as a priority, but everyone likes to add us to their talking points.

What is the goal you want to achieve most in 2025?

Writing a book. I think it’s important for us to tell our stories.

I am also kicking off my campaign for Hayward City Council.

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2024 in Review: 7 Questions for California Black Chamber of Commerce CEO Jay King

Jay King is also a member of the popular 1980s R&B group Club Nouveau. In his role as an artist and activist, he has stood up for issues affecting underrepresented Californians for over three decades. As the President of the CBCC, King says he is determined to put his mark on developing and expanding the capacity of African American businessmen and women.

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Jay King, president of CEO of the California Black Chamber of Commerce.

By Edward Henderson, California Black Media

Grammy Award-winning singer and record label executive, Jay King, was elected CEO/President of the California Black Chamber of Commerce (CBCC) in June of 2019.

The CBCC is the largest African American non-profit business organization, representing thousands of small and emerging businesses, affiliates, and chambers of commerce throughout California.

King is also a member of the popular 1980s R&B group Club Nouveau. In his role as an artist and activist, he has stood up for issues affecting underrepresented Californians for over three decades.

As the President of the CBCC, King says he is determined to put his mark on developing and expanding the capacity of African American businessmen and women.

California Black Media (CBM) spoke with King recently. He reflected on the Chamber’s accomplishments, disappointments, lessons learned this year, and goals moving forward.

Looking back at 2024, what stands out as your most important achievement and why? 

Making the voices of micro and mini-micro businesses loud, forcing policymakers and other decision makers across the state to pay attention to them. With legislation in place now — AB 1574 and AB 2019 – that mandates that the state and agencies affiliated with the state extend opportunities to micro and mini business owners and give them a chance to participate in government contracting in a real way.

How did your leadership and investments contribute to improving the lives of Black Californians? 

I really want to contribute to the world and the state of Black businesses because of the systemic inequities in the past.

Small business, micro businesses and mini businesses are too often overlooked.

I think it would be egotistical to believe that I make any significant impact on my own. Whether it’s the Asian Chamber, Hispanic Chamber and other organizations that are fighting the same fight. I think it’s a collective, so I’m proud to be part of the collective.

What frustrated you the most over the last year?

We say we want to give access to capital to small businesses, yet we continue to create barriers that deny them access.

What inspired you the most over the last year?

Watching some of the small business owners that we worked with — these micro businesses — and seeing the potential and the power that is in front of us.

What is one lesson you learned in 2024 that will inform your decision-making next year?

We have to fight for Black business owners, but they also have to be prepared; because if they’re not, it affects us all down the line.

In one word, what is the biggest challenge Black Californians face?

Self-belief. I think we have been conditioned on victimization and victimhood. We think that if we don’t get the help we need that we will falter.

What is the goal you want to achieve most in 2025?

I want to change the trajectory of micro and mini business owners.

Oakland Post

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Bay Area

Tina Thompson: Champion, Legend, and Pioneer of Women’s Basketball

Known for her signature red lipstick, Thompson displayed confidence and style on the court, becoming an icon both for her gameplay and her individuality. Her ability to score from anywhere on the floor, combined with her defensive prowess, made her one of the league’s most formidable players.

Published

15 hours ago

January 5, 2025

Oakland Post

Tina Thompson at 2013 WNBA All-Star game at Mohegan Sun. 27 July 2013. Photo: Danny Karwaski/Wikimedia Commons.

By Tamara Shiloh

The establishment of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) in 1996 was a turning point for women’s sports, creating a professional platform for female basketball players to showcase their skills at the highest level. Among the trailblazers who helped launch the league, Tina Thompson stands out as the first African American woman drafted into the WNBA.

Tina Thompson was born on February 10, 1975, in Los Angeles, California. Raised in a basketball-loving household, she quickly developed a passion for the game. Thompson improved her skills on the playgrounds of South Central Los Angeles, often playing against boys, which toughened her game and fueled her competitive edge.

She attended the University of Southern California (USC), where she became a standout player for the Trojans. Known for her versatility, scoring ability, and relentless work ethic, she earned All-Pac-10 honors multiple times and cemented her reputation as one of the top collegiate players in the nation.

When the WNBA held its first-ever draft on April 28, 1997, Tina Thompson made history as the league’s first African American player to be drafted. Selected as the first overall pick by the Houston Comets, she joined a team that would go on to dominate the early years of the WNBA.

Tina’s selection was a historic moment, symbolizing the league’s commitment to showcasing diverse talent. As a Black woman in a pioneering role, Thompson carried the hopes of aspiring African American female athletes who dreamed of playing professional basketball.

Tina wasted no time making an impact in the WNBA. As a key member of the Houston Comets alongside legends Cynthia Cooper and Sheryl Swoopes, she helped lead the team to an unprecedented four consecutive championships from 1997 to 2000. The Comets’ dynasty became the gold standard for excellence in the league’s early years.

Over a career spanning 17 seasons, Tina established herself as one of the WNBA’s all-time greats. She retired as the league’s leading scorer, a record she held until it was broken by Diana Taurasi. She was a nine-time WNBA All-Star and was named to multiple All-WNBA teams, cementing her status as one of the sport’s legends.

In 2018, Thompson’s contributions to basketball were recognized with her induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The honor underscored her influence not just as a player, but as a trailblazer for African American women in sports.

After retiring from professional basketball, she transitioned into coaching, using her experience and knowledge to mentor young athletes. She has served as a head coach at the collegiate level, inspiring the next generation of players to pursue excellence both on and off the court.

As a role model and advocate, Thompson has consistently emphasized the importance of education, empowerment, and self-belief. Her story resonates with countless young women who see in her the embodiment of perseverance and success.

Tina Thompson is presently in her third season as an assistant coach at the University of Texas at Austin.