Russell Nesbit had the talent, but for Black gymnasts, getting to the nationals, let alone the Olympics, was a long shot.
After building gymnastics and acrobatic programs for youth in his Washington, D.C. community in the 1950s, Nesbit selected some of his best students to form the “Flying Nesbits,” a team of acrobats that would travel around the country.
Acrobatics is less competitive and involves more teamwork than the sport of gymnastics. The acrobatics of the Flying Nesbits wowed celebrities like Gladys Knight, James Brown, the Spinners, and the Harlem Globetrotters. However, during the Civil Rights Movement, they took the grandest stage of all.
In June 1968, the group performed at Solidarity Day in Washington, D.C., supporting the Poor People’s Campaign. Having had segregation restrict the venues open to them, they understood that their solidarity with Civil Rights activists would help them fight back.
Russell Nesbit and James Jones gave children a safe space to express themselves and uplift each other. Let's continue to raise our communities sky-high — no bars or beams needed.