In 1924, Bertrand Milbourne Clark became the first Black man to play at Wimbledon, decades before Arthur Ashe. One of the only surviving photos of Clark was nearly lost to history until a family descendant rediscovered his records and photo, revealing this extraordinary legacy. (1924) [849×1118]

SS: Bertrand Milbourne Clark (1894–1958) made history as the first Black competitor at Wimbledon, entering the men’s singles in 1924 over 50 years before Arthur Ashe won the title.

Born in Kingston, he was the second son of Dr. Enos Edgar Clark, a prominent dentist, and Clementina Louise Sanguinetti. A gifted all-round athlete, Clark won the high jump for Jamaica College at the very first Inter-Secondary Schools Championship in 1910 at Sabina Park.

He joined the Civil Service but rose to prominence during World War I as a dominant tennis player. In 1920, he unseated U.S. national champion Tally Holmes in a five-set thriller to claim the American Tennis Association title. Through the 1920s, he reigned as Jamaica’s top player in both singles and doubles.

When Prince Albert visited Jamaica in 1927, he chose Clark as his doubles partner, an intentional gesture of equality that made international headlines.

Beyond tennis, he worked as a medical secretary for the Island Board of Health and served 11 years as Secretary of the Jamaica Golf Association, dedicating his retirement to coaching youth players.