Mo’ne Davis
Mo’ne Davis was the first girl to pitch a shutout in the history of the Little League World Series, and was the first African American girl to play in the competition.
Listen 1:00
Mo'ne Davis (Sports Illustrated)
Mo’ne Davis made sports history when she was 13.
In the 2014 Little League World Series of baseball, she was the first girl to pitch a shutout in the history of the tournament and the first African American girl to play in the competition. Her fast ball was clocked at 70 miles per hour.
Her success made her a national celebrity and role model, earning her a place on the cover of Sports illustrated and a visit to the White House.
She is credited with breaking down barriers between girls and boys in sports.
Born in Philadelphia in 2001, Davis was a standout athlete from an early age. She first gained attention from coaches as a 10-year-old playing football with older boys.
She went on to lead state championship high school teams in softball and soccer and now plays softball for Hampton University, a historically black college where she’s majoring in communications.
In 2015, she released a memoir “Mo’ne Davis: Remember My Name,” co-written with Hilary Beard.
WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.