[Racket] Arthur Ashe bought this tennis racket in 1975 and used it in competitions from Wimbledon to the Davis Cup. He had begun his tennis career in 1955. Early on, he found racial prejudice one of his toughest challenges. But he broke down racial barriers to become a Grand Slam tournament winner and the Davis Cup team captain.

Ashe's premature death from complications caused by the AIDS virus--contracted through a blood transfusion -- educated the public about the threat that the disease poses to humanity.

Courtesy of the National Museum of American History, gift of Arthur R. Ashe, Jr., 1991

Tennis racket owned by Arthur R. Ashe, Jr. (1943-93)

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