With the release of the Adam Carolla-directed documentary Uppity: The Willy T. Ribbs Story, which covers the life and career of a motorsports pioneer, the first black man to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 in 1991, many of the promotional materials for the film describe Ribbs as “the Jackie Robinson of auto racing” who “shattered the color barrier in professional racing.” Not to take anything away from Ribbs, but plenty of other racers might have a better claim on those latter two titles.

To begin with, a hard-and-fast color barrier did exist in some professional motorsports (and a softer color barrier in other motorsports) during the 20th century. What makes Ribbs’ entry in the Indy 500 a landmark event is that it came after 80 years of the Indy 500, an establishment in American motorsports, and after the Indianapolis Motor Speedway spent decades segregating its spectators and excluding black racers.

Looking back at a historical first (or two) in honor of Black History Month.