lillian greenechamberlain on may 11 2021 at the wayne k curry sports and learning center in landover, maryland
Erin Sha


lift every voice
Hearst

Lillian Greene-Chamberlain was interviewed and photographed for Lift Every Voice, in partnership with Lexus. Lift Every Voice records the wisdom and life experiences of the oldest Black Americans by connecting them with a new generation of Black journalists. The oral history series is running across Hearst magazine, newspaper and television websites around Juneteenth 2021. Go to oprahdaily.com/lifteveryvoice for the complete portfolio.

When Lillian Greene-Chamberlain, Ph.D., was growing up in Harlem in the late 1940s and ’50s, she was told she shouldn’t compete in sports: “You can’t do that; you can’t play that; you might get hurt,” she remembers. She proved naysayers wrong and went on to become the first U.S. national champion in the 440-yard run, as well as the first African-American woman to represent the United States internationally in 400-meter and 800-meter races. Greene-Chamberlain, now 81, later served as the first director of the Physical Education and Sports Program for the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) from 1978 to 1988 and speaks fondly of her time breaking barriers alongside other female athletes. “We didn’t have role models,” she says. “We were our role models. We stepped over hurdles.”

What do you love about running?

Running opened up the world to me. It made it possible for me to meet people, to see other places, to ask questions. Also, you don’t need any equipment; all you need are some shoes that support you. It’s a freeing activity. I could do it by myself; I didn’t need a team. And it’s something you can do while you’re thinking, while you’re meditating, while you’re planning.

What goes through your mind as you’re running?
I’m thinking about the state of the nation. I can’t solve the problems when I’m running, but I can determine the way I allow them to affect me. I don’t run with headphones on because I want to have a clear mind since I plan when I’m running.

How did you get your start?
My journey began at 8 years old, when a New York City policeman discovered me racing and beating the boys in the elementary school. He enrolled me in the Harlem Police Athletic League, and by the time I was 12, I received the league’s Athlete of the Year award for participation in track and field, basketball, and softball.

lillian greene chamberlain competes in 1962
Courtesy CSU and Lillian Greene-Chamberlain
Lillian Greene-Chamberlain competes in 1962.

What made you choose track and field above the other sports?
Track was my opportunity to see the world. With basketball, you had to depend on various tournaments. Track was universal. There were track meets everywhere. I traveled all over the world: Russia, Poland, Hungary, Greece, Great Britain.

When you were racing in the 1950s and ’60s, those were very white countries. How did they react to seeing a Black woman competing on their level?
In Africa or the Caribbean, they were used to seeing people of color. But with Russia, Poland, and Hungary, I was an anomaly. I did my research. I asked questions, I read books. I learned Russian phrases phonetically to be able to communicate with the Soviet athletes and citizens. The athletes seemed genuinely interested in the warm, friendly way our integrated U.S. team worked out together. People stopped me to speak, touch my hair and skin, were shocked that I could speak their language, and left all kinds of gifts and souvenirs for me at our hotel.

After competing in Europe, you attended Colorado State University. How did you end up there?
We were back in the United States the next year for the 1959 Pan American Games, in Chicago. I won the exhibition 400-meter event and set an American record. A Colorado State University official was there at the meet. She asked me if I would consider transferring to CSU to help establish the first intercollegiate track team in the school’s history. I realized that I would have to find a way to pay for my tuition by working on campus, because CSU didn’t offer athletic scholarships to women. I said, “I’ll come if you do two things: I want to learn how to ski, and if you get me a horse, I want to learn how to ride.” And they agreed.

Why those two things?
In Harlem, where do you learn to ski? In Harlem, where would I ever get to ride a horse? I wanted that experience. Colorado, that’s horse country. Skiing? Aspen, Colorado.

greene chamberlain carried the olympic torch as part of the 2002 salt lake city games relay
Erin Sha
Greene-Chamberlain carried the Olympic torch (pictured) as part of the 2002 Salt Lake City Games relay.

How did it feel knowing that you were so instrumental in starting their track and field team yet they wouldn’t give you a scholarship?
It’s not that they wouldn’t give it to me. When I arrived at CSU, there were only two colleges in the United States that offered track-and-field scholarships to females. Women’s athletics at CSU were primarily intramural rather than intercollegiate. So I worked in my dorm’s cafeteria. In 1962 I was placed on the Dean’s List, and I earned the first athletic scholarship for a female athlete in CSU’s history. They established the Lillian Greene Scholarship Fund with the assistance of the Denver Post, a group of sororities, and individual donors. I was inducted later into Colorado State University’s Hall of Fame. I was invited to give the commencement address and I talked to them about the world that doesn’t include you or doesn’t see you. I wanted them to see that I looked beyond the obvious stumbling blocks in my way because I didn’t see them as stumbling blocks: They were steppingstones. Those were hurdles that I just flew over.

What advice would you give Black female athletes trying to make their way?
Don’t be afraid to be the first one to try to accomplish something. Just because a door is closed today, don’t think it’ll be closed tomorrow. Be strong and push it open. You can’t make a mistake if it’s never been done before. Also, you have to prepare for when the cheering stops.

You were the U.N. Director of Physical Education and Sports for 10 years. What did you do there?
I built schools, I trained teachers, I wrote curriculums for governments. I was responsible for the conception, planning, development, and implementation of all projects, programs, and activities related to physical education and sport in the, at that time, 161 UNESCO member nations throughout the world.

Were you ever met with resistance when you were sent to help in these countries?
Oh, yes. And that’s where you don’t dictate; you have to understand. If I’m in China, I can’t bring America’s ideas and values and customs and norms. It’s important to understand the religion of the country, just in terms of setting up the program, and knowing if people are comfortable and how religious elements interact with what will be allowed.

What was the most life-changing thing you did for the people you served?
I can’t say one in particular, but I would say getting to open the eyes of the elders, because it’s hard to change customs and culture. I came into this world with an assignment and I can’t see a problem that I won’t try to remedy.

What do you think that assignment is?
To help. My assignment is to give, to be kind, to assist, be considerate, helpful, respectful, gracious, patient, and generous.

Do you think you’ve completed your assignment?
My assignment stops when I stop breathing. It has been so multifaceted, with so many things that I never thought I would do. Living in Paris and working for the United Nations for 10 years, being of service to so many different cultures—do you know how fortunate I am? When you get that kind of blessing, you’ve got to share. And the more I share, the more it comes back to me.

Turn Inspiration to Action
Consider donating to the National Association of Black Journalists. Direct your dollars to scholarships and fellowships that support the educational and professional development of aspiring young journalists.

Also, support The National Caucus & Center on Black Aging. Dedicated to improving the quality of life of older African-Americans, NCCBA’s educational programs arm them with the tools they need to advocate for themselves.


Listen Now: Lift Every Voice has been transformed into a powerful podcast, which records the wisdom and life experiences of the oldest generation of Black Americans by connecting them with a new generation of Black journalists. Head here to listen to all 16 episodes.



Elizabeth Okosun is an arts and culture journalism major at the University of Missouri. After graduation, she intends to be a culture writer or editor.

Headshot of Elizabeth Okosun
Elizabeth Okosun
Elizabeth Okosun is a writer studying arts and culture journalism at the University of Missouri.