AthleteAmerican1912 – 1994
Lougenia Lanier
Olympic track and field competitor, pioneering Black female athlete
Biography
An American track and field athlete who competed in the 1932 Summer Olympics. She was one of the first Black women to represent the United States in Olympic competition.
Quick Facts
Category
Athlete
Nationality
American
Born
1912
Died
1994
Thinking about the name
Lougenia
American origin
“An elaborate feminine form of Louis, combining the root with the classical -genia suffix (from Eugene). Lougenia evokes Victorian-era aspiration and refinement, with a grandiose sound that suggests late 19th-century American society. The name carries intellectual and artistic overtones while maintaining a distinctly Southern or Appalachian character.”