About Harry Edward
Harry Francis Vincent Edward (15 April 1898 – 8 July 1973), known as Harry Edward, was a German-British athlete in track; in 1920 he was Britain's first black Olympian and the first black person to win Olympic medals. He represented the UK and competed in the 100 and 200 m 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, winning bronze medals in both events. Because he injured himself during the 200 m final, he withdrew from the 4 × 100 m relay. Born to German and Dominican parents, and raised in Berlin, Edward was classified as a British subject and enemy alien because his father was a British subject from Dominica, a British colony. During the First World War, Edward was imprisoned for nearly four years in a civilian detention camp from 1915 to 1918. After being released, he migrated to the United Kingdom and settled in London. This was his base for athletic competition through 1922. Invited to compete at Yankee Stadium in New York City, Edward emigrated to the United States in 1923. Settling in New York after some time in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he participated in the Harlem Renaissance and its political and cultural milieu. He worked for the City of New York for much of his career, and also volunteered for the United Nations. Later in life he wrote a memoir, When I Passed the Statue of Liberty I Became Black, discussing his life on both sides of the Atlantic. It was rediscovered among his papers by British writer and filmmaker Neil Duncanson in the 21st century, and edited by him for publication by Yale University Press in 2024.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.