Mabel Fairbanks

Mabel Fairbanks
Personal information
Born (1915-11-14)November 14, 1915
Florida
Died September 29, 2001(2001-09-29) (aged 85)
Burbank, California
Coach Maribel Vinson Owen
Howard Nicholson

Mabel Fairbanks (November 14, 1915 – September 29, 2001) was an American figure skater and coach. She was inducted into the US Figure Skating Hall of Fame, as the first African-American, and the International Women's Sports Hall of Fame.

Early life

Of African-American and Seminole descent, Mabel Fairbanks was born on November 14, 1915 in Florida's Everglades.[1][2] She had a sister, Pearl, who was younger by a year,[1] and an elder brother.[3]

Fairbanks never met her father and was orphaned at the age of eight when her mother died.[3] After staying with a teacher who treated her like a "maid," she joined her brother in New York but his wife did not accept her.[3] A wealthy woman saw her sleeping on a park bench and offered her a job as a babysitter at a home overlooking Central Park.[1]

Career

Fairbanks began figure skating around 1925 to 1928.[4] After observing children at the Central Park ice rink, Fairbanks bought herself used skates, which were two sizes too big, and went to join them.[1] She said, "Blacks didn't skate there. But it was a public place, so I just carried on."[2] She later practiced on a 6ft by 6ft rink constructed by her uncle in her room.[2] She gained further inspiration after seeing Sonja Henie in the 1936 film One in a Million.[4]

In the 1930s, Fairbanks, due to her race, was denied access to the local rink by the cashier but she kept returning until the manager admitted her.[4] Maribel Vinson Owen and Howard Nicholson provided her with technical advice.[4] Fairbanks was not allowed to compete in the national qualifying event for the Olympics or any competition.[2] In a 1998 interview, she said, "If I had gone to the Olympics and become a star, I would not be who I am today."[3]

Fairbanks performed in shows in New York until the 1940s.[5][1] After relocating to Los Angeles, she toured internationally, skating with Ice Capades in Mexico and later with Ice Follies.[2]

Fairbanks coached singles and pairs, including Tiffany Chin, Billy Chapel, Scott Hamilton, Kristi Yamaguchi / Rudy Galindo, Tai Babilonia / Randy Gardner, Leslie Robinson, Michelle McCladdie, Richard Ewell, Debi Thomas, Atoy Wilson, and Jean Yuna.[3][6][7] She also taught skating to the children of many celebrities.[3] In 1997, she became the first African American inducted into the US Figure Skating Hall of Fame.[1] She was inducted into the International Women's Sports Hall of Fame in October 2001.[8][9]

Personal life

Fairbanks never married.[1] She was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis in 1997[3] and with acute leukemia in mid-2001.[1] She died on September 29, 2001 at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California.[1][2][10] She is interred in the ground at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Hollywood, California. Her grave is right at the beginning of the bridge to the Clark Mausoleum.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Quintanilla, Michael (October 4, 2001). "Obituaries: Mabel Fairbanks, 85; Black Ice Skater". Los Angeles Times.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Reed, Christopher (October 8, 2001). "Obituary: Mabel Fairbanks". The Guardian.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Levine, Bettijane (February 19, 1998). "The Ice Mother Blazed the Skating Trail for Others". Los Angeles Times.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Scheurer, Ronald A. (December 1, 1997). "Breaking the Ice: The Mabel Fairbanks Story". American Visions (HighBeam).
  5. ↑ "Mabel Fairbanks Harrassed By Jim Crow". The Afro American. May 5, 1945.
  6. ↑ Schneider Farris, Jo Ann (September 22, 2008). "Ewell helped create African-American skating legacy". IceNetwork.
  7. ↑ Elfman, Lois (January 15, 2015). "Wilson looks back on barrier-breaking experience". IceNetwork.
  8. ↑ "Mabel Fairbanks: Breaking Down Barriers". Women's Sports Foundation. Archived from the original on June 18, 2002.
  9. ↑ "International Women's Sports Hall of Fame". Women's Sports Foundation. Archived from the original on November 27, 2014. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  10. ↑ Andres, Holly (October 5, 2001). "MEMORIALS PENDING FOR ICE SKATING LEGEND.". Daily News (Los Angeles, CA) (The Free Library).
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