27 Sep Historic Lynchburg tennis court hopes to welcome future legends
Plans are underway to train the next generation of tennis legends in Lynchburg. The Whirlwind Johnson Foundation held a community event on Thursday at the same court where Dr. Robert Walter “Whirlwind” Johnson trained children during the days of segregation.
Whirlwind Johnson taught young African Americans how to play tennis at a time when they were banned from playing elsewhere. From this court grew such tennis legends as Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe. Sixty years later, his granddaughter, Jolynn Johnson Smith, is working to bring back his vision and provide free tennis on the same court.
“I just want to create the opportunity for the same things to be carried on here because this is the place where it all started,” Smith said.
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