Touch the Sky: Alice Coachman, Olympic High Jumper

Bare feet shouldn’t fly.
Long legs shouldn’t spin,
Braids shouldn’t flap in the wind.
“Sit on the porch and be a lady,” Papa scolded Alice.

In Alice’s Georgia hometown, there was no track where an African American girl could practice, so she made her own crossbar with sticks and rags. With the support of her coach, friends, and community, Alice started to win medals. Her dream to compete at the Olympics came true in 1948. This is an inspiring free-verse story of the first African American woman to win an Olympic gold medal. Photos of Alice Coachman are also included.