Kim Jones First Black Woman to Play in World Championship

The real reason that this thread has stretched is that people are kicking a post by DP News.

The fact that Kim Jones is in it is "mostly" irrelevant - the fact that DP News made some statements in it that could / can and have been picked apart... is.

Please lets just separate the issues and the weight of public opinion here :

- I'm very sure that everybody on this thread wishes Kim all the very best in this tournament, regardless of her colour / heratige.

- I'm sure that the statements made in the DP News post highlighting statistics surrounding Kim's inclusion in this event, has provided ammunition to members who can spot ambiguity and / or want to outline sensationalist phrases from DP / Charlie Williams' org.

Considering the already HOT active thread on this forum containing peoples opinions on Charlie / DP... any post from either of them will get picked to shreds.

All I'm saying is - we all wish Kim well and every success in playing the sport of pool. As for DP / Charlie, how she was picked etc, people can and certainly will express their opinion.

Kim hasn't done anything wrong apart from play pool like all of us.
I don't know Charlie or any DP rep personally - my main frame of reference on both come from this forum.

Can we please be mindful of our amazing community here and support the player first; after that - let the chicken bones fall where they may with regards to any other issue ?

Peace out.
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What a fine post!
JoeyA
 
Cliff wasn't the first African-American to compete for a World championship. Don't forget that Cisero Murphy won a world championship in the 1960's. Also, Earl Herring came a solid fourth in a world straight pool championship in the late 1970's.

Thanks for the info! Just for the record (since I wasn't very clear), I wasn't saying Joyner was the first, only that Kim Jones will not be.

So...was Cisero Murphy the first?
 
Thanks for the info! Just for the record (since I wasn't very clear), I wasn't saying Joyner was the first, only that Kim Jones will not be.

So...was Cisero Murphy the first?

Yes, Cisero was the first.
 
If you include juniors (and I don't see why not...) then Mary Rankin played & won in Germany a couple of years ago at a World Championships. She's just one that popped up in my mind . There could well be many more.

Isn't Mary Philippina?
 
You should move to Atlanta. We have great pool rooms and you don't have to worry about being near the beach :D

Been there twice for the US amateur championships.
Didn't get to do too much other than play, and I know a lot of the players there.
Just Florida has so many tournaments that I enjoy playing in, but with the Spirit tour on the ropes....I don't know.
:)
 
Um, isn't black woman and African American female sort of the same thing in this context?

You're sure that no black woman in the history of pool has ever competed for a world title?

This is a trick question.

I am not sure but I think other countries permit black people. I think Canada has some and I saw some in the Bahamas on a trip. They are not all American.;) If these other countries qualify their black people to play, that would be the "black woman" part.
 
I don't see anyone putting her down, or doubting that she's a nice person. I just don't think anyone here cares about race so much. I mean, not only do we have a diverse mix of races, but we have a mix of gays and straights, too. I think that's what makes pool so awesome. Where else do you see that (besides softball :D)?

EDIT: Did not mean to quote an individual post :)

san francisco. it's full of every race under the sun and people of all sexual orientations
 
What joey and ste said.

Even if the post comes across as a little backwards (I laughed at the idea she is both the 'first black woman and the first african american female' to compete... ) the spirit behind it is positive, and it's giving some attention (hopefully welcome) to a competitor who probably would pass under the radar otherwise.

I have no idea if they carefully researched it or not but I wouldn't be at all surprised if this is correct. Black female pro pool players ARE rare.

Someday we'll reach a point where the field (and most of the human race) is so mixed that it's completely unremarkable to see a player who is a little more tan than the next guy.

On that day, it would be pointless to mention her race. On THIS day, it's worth pointing out - just to remind us that there are still areas that lack integration. But that's changing =)
 
Well if we really want to split hairs, the BCA Tournament in Las Vegas is an international event and is the defacto World Championship of amateur 8-Ball on Bar Boxes under the BCA banner.

And the VNEA is also an international event which fields individual players from all over the world.

I am not certain but I think that Pam Bell has competed in both the BCA and VNEA tournaments.

I congratulate Kim Jones the part time pool player for daring to take her game to the Phillipines and compete with the world's best players.

That she happens to be black and American has zero signifigance and interest to me since black Americans have been allowed to compete alongside people of all races for 40 years now.

And for the record I am not jumping on the bash Charlie Williams bandwagon. Charlie and I are cool and he has always been cool with me and me with him. I am commenting on the tone of the press release which, to me, is over the top. And I think I know something about over the top statements :-)
 
The article was not inteded to state that Kim Jones is the first ever black woman to compete at pool.
However, it states and is factual that Kim Jones will always be the FIRST black woman to compete in the FIRST women's world ten ball championships.
Congratulations to Kim and Good luck!

FIRST .???? everyone who is playing is a FIRST


First white woman..

First Asian woman...

First European

First Malato

First Spanish

they ALL can claim FIRST woman...( do the ones on the first table to break get that EXTRA special recognition?)

this is all just low brow bullshit.. trying to invent an attention getting event...

Blow the PR horn when she wins.....

otherwise she is merely an also ran...

but I wish her the best of luck..:thumbup:
 
Someday we'll reach a point where the field (and most of the human race) is so mixed that it's completely unremarkable to see a player who is a little more tan than the next guy.

On that day, it would be pointless to mention her race. On THIS day, it's worth pointing out - just to remind us that there are still areas that lack integration. But that's changing =)

What would constitute "that day"? Its been noted for the last couple of yrs that the "white race" is fast becoming the minority. The president of the United States of America, the most powerful job that I can think of, has a black man in that seat. What more will it take before people realize that the days of slavery, segregation, & supression are over? Its the folks that continue to think everything is "worth pointing out" that keep the past alive. Just my opinion.

JB Cases said:
That she happens to be black and American has zero signifigance and interest to me since black Americans have been allowed to compete alongside people of all races for 40 years now.

Exactly
 
It is far more significant that a black man, well half black, was elected President. That speaks to the fact that we are getting past the point where we need to play the Race Card to get brownie points.

This press release is just pure tripe due to the headline. Karen Corr and Julie Kelley are the first Irish Women to play for a ten ball World Championship. Why didn't they get a press release?

Kelly Fisher and Allison Fisher are the first English Women to play for a ten ball World Championship.

I am sure that there are other minorites who are present for the first time as well.

I want an answer to the question of why a 48 player field for a WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP is NOT filled with the BEST OF THE BEST in the world?

I personally think it's quite silly that the 48 best women on planet Earth aren't filling the field at this event. I read that there are 6 MORE spots open through local qualifiers in the Phillipines. That means that with whatever spots were given out through qualifiers like Kim Jones got in on that there were less than 42 spots available to the top players in the world. Kinda sad if you ask me that all the countries of the world couldn't send their best players to the WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS and easily fill a 48 player board without the need to hand out spots through qualifiers.

Anyway, at least it's happening and like someone said, more tournaments are good. It's 20,000 Payday for someone and with a smaller field and more than 10% of the field being less experienced than the top pros it's a good shot for the best to sweep the top spots.

So Kudos to Charlie and Staff for doing the event. With the Classic Tour dying a slow death the ladies need every tournament they can get now.
 
That she happens to be black and American has zero signifigance and interest to me since black Americans have been allowed to compete alongside people of all races for 40 years now.

On this point, we are not together, John. Of course, you are correct that pool has been an equal opportunity sport for decades, but to me, there are other considerations.

As has been noted, few of Kim's race have competed in professional pool. Cisero Murphy led the way, but it was tragic that, just months after his induction as the first BCA Hall-of-Famer of his race, a car accident took him form our midst. As an inducted Hall of Famer, Cisero could have, and would have, been an important role model and key ambassador for the cause of greater participation in professional pool for those of his race. Similarly, the next member of Cisero's race that enjoys a measure of competitive success may have an opportunity to be a catalyst for key growth in our sport.

In short, I see every reason to celebrate Kim's upcoming participation in the World Championship.
 
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