Brooklyn Dodgers catcher Roy Campanella was the first black athlete on a Wheaties box in 1952.

Roy Campanella [Baseball]
Wheaties Cereal Box Cover Portrait, General Mills, 1952
Minneapolis, Minnesota
The first African American featured on the "Breakfast of Champions" was Brooklyn Dodgers catcher, Roy Campanella, in 1952. The first African-American football player appeared in 1986, Walter Payton of the Chicago Bears. Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls debuted as Wheaties' first Africa...

Roy Campanella [Baseball]
Wheaties Cereal Box Cover Portrait, General Mills, 1952
Minneapolis, Minnesota
The first African American featured on the "Breakfast of Champions" was Brooklyn Dodgers catcher, Roy Campanella, in 1952. The first African-American football player appeared in 1986, Walter Payton of the Chicago Bears. Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls debuted as Wheaties' first African-American basketball champion in 1988. The first African-American woman to appear, in a group portrait of the 1996 Gold Medal Olympic team, was Dominique Dawes. Michael Johnson (1996, track), Arthur Ashe (1997, tennis) and Tiger Woods (1998, golf) round out those African Americans who were first to be honored in their sport category.