Ora Washington won championships in tennis and basketball but was excluded from mainstream titles due to prejudice in the early 20th century. In 1976, the Black Athletes Hall of Fame attempted to honor Washington but discovered she had died five years earlier and her location was unknown. Historians credit Washington as one of the most dominant Black female athletes of the 20th century, despite facing racism and homophobia. Born in rural Virginia around 1898, Washington moved to Philadelphia as part of the Great Migration, where she began her athletic career. From 1929 to 1935, Washington won seven consecutive ATA tennis singles titles and dominated women's basketball in the Black Fives era.