| San Pablo Park : A Shining Example of African American Participation |  |
In the pantheon of African American California history that spans from Allenstown to Buffalo Soldiers’ role at Yosemite to Oakland political prominence and activism of the civil rights era, tennis too has made it’s mark, and perhaps no place more notably than at San Pablo Park in Berkeley. For over 50 years it was a stalwart of the African American community where tennis flourished in social competitions, organized leagues and tournaments, culminating in a 1987 NorCal Championship win for its Men’s 3.0 team. In essence, San Pablo Park became the California destination spot for African Americans who were passionate about tennis and desired a welcoming haven to exercise their talent and meet others like them.
Certainly in its earlier days, prior to the 1970s, the growth of African American tennis participation at San Pablo Park was a natural outgrowth of racial hatred and prejudice of the times in Berkeley and the country. Red lining was a common, regular practice of the day, forbidding African Americans from purchasing homes in most areas of the city. Needless to say, joining a tennis club or playing tennis at various local parks was unthinkable. This left thousands of African Americans who favored tennis with few options for actually playing it consistently, or for honing their skill. This situation left only several options for black people who wanted to play tennis which included DeFremery Park in West Oakland and San Pablo Park.
“Black people at the time were limited by where they could live in the bay area and these two parks were the only places in the early days where you’d find a concentration of African Americans attorneys, doctors, dentists, accountants and other educated citizens, and an equal number of blue collar workers because they were free to purchase homes there,” said to Willie Thompson, a retired professor and historian who was treasurer for the San Pablo Park Tennis Club in the mid 1980s.
Thompson explained that for Berkeley African American residents who lived in these areas, particularly those who wanted a place to play tennis competitively or recreationally, found that the location of the San Pablo Park tennis courts in particular presented a unique opportunity and environment for them to begin organizing tennis activities.
“I think we can say that the San Pablo Tennis Club, was the only organization in the area that African American tennis players could count on for members to participate in tournaments including league tennis, to socialize with others, improve tennis skills, and so forth,” said Thompson. “Much like the Negro American Baseball Leagues, the 1987 championship is the outcome of the organization and operation of the San Pablo Tennis Club through the years, up to that point.”
Exactly how San Pablo Park Tennis Club became the African American Tennis Club to send a team all the way to the USTA league nationals and win it, may be due to the changing times. Leading up to the 1980s as time progressed, and segregation began diminishing, San Pablo Park became much less a default tennis place, and much more ‘the‘ preferred place to be if you were an African American who was serious about tennis, or one visiting from out of town looking find a tennis partner.
Then, with the organization and advocacy skills of long time members such as Laura Bennett and Bill Jackson and many others, the club evolved from casual or competitive play among friends, to becoming a participant and host site for competitive events. The Jackie Watkins tennis tournament, the pacific coast championship, and the American Tennis Association (ATA), were all popular tennis events which drew new tennis players to the park. Eventually this broadened the scope of not only San Pablo Park tennis players, but also tennis players across California and the country, regardless of race, providing them with a full range of opportunities to play tennis in an inclusive and competitive environment.
Leading up to the formation of the 1987 Men’s 3.0 National Champion team, the club had grown exponentially, presenting a perfect opportunity for William Pulliam, the president of the club during this time, and team captain Art Grayson to work collaboratively. The result of course was a group of skilled and dedicated 3.0 men who possessed a miraculous combination of perseverance and skill on one team. To date, San Pablo Park Tennis Club remains the only African American tennis club to ever win a USTA National Championship title.
Today, San Pablo Park itself is now 100 years old. And although the club’s six courts aren’t dominated by tennis players as it was 30 years ago, and former members’ cross-court forehands have far less pace on them than before, many remain active reaching out to a new generation of juniors and adults to play a new generation of USTA tennis.
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