South Mississippi athletes speak at Lyman Senior Center’s Black History Month celebration

The Lyman Senior Center held its Black History Month Celebration with two former South Mississippian sports stars headlining the program.

At the program, citizens celebrated the decorated month by honoring local African-American pioneers in South Mississippi.

Guest speakers Tiffany Travis and Sammy Winder shared their thoughts on the significant month and their journey to stardom in their respective sports contributing to the history.

Travis is a former WNBA professional and Harrison Central basketball star. In the mid-90s, Travis was the first black women to enter the WNBA from South Mississippi.

Winder was a former NFL professional with the Denver Broncos and Southern Miss star running back in the early 80s.  He was named a two-time pro bowler and made three Super Bowl appearances. Winder said, “Me, looking back on my life where I came from to where I am today, it was about struggle. It was about perseverance. It was about believing.”

Travis said, “Anytime you come home and be acknowledged by people that supported you throughout your career, loving on you. It’s always a good experience for me when I come back to Gulfport. It’s very important that you show younger generations what it takes to be successful, you know, hard work, dedication, you know, sacrifice.”

Tiffany recently graduated with her law degree from the Birmingham School of Law pursuing her practice in law and Sammy now enjoys time on his farm in his hometown of Pocahontas, Mississippi.