BLACK HISTORY MONTH: ARTHUR ASHE

     Tennis legend, Arthur Ashe, passed away this week 25 years ago after bravely announcing to the world in April 1992 that he contracted the HIV virus. Ashe used his fame and resources to raise awareness and assist in the treatment of the condition.
     After a stint in the U.S. Army, Ashe went into his pro tennis career and won his first Grand Slam, the US Open, in 1968. In all, Ashe won 66 titles, included singles wins at both the Wimbledon Open and the Australian Open. He is the only black man to win the singles titles for the aforementioned Grand Slam tournaments. Ashe reached the quarterfinals of the French Open twice in his career.
     Ashe later established the Arthur Ashe Foundation to Defeat AIDS, now an endowment, and the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health, which exists today in Brooklyn, New York.

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