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Why Serena Williams Is Our Athlete of the Decade.
There’s no doubt that Serena Williams is the athlete of the decade, without the unnecessary application of “female.”
The ruthlessness of the elite sport that she has steadily dominated, stems from the overt bigotry that extends past the tennis courts and into the press rooms, where combative White male reporters rudely push those buttons to unleash the “angry Black woman.”
But Serena and her equally formidable big sister Venus, have both matured into graceful sportswomen, who owe their enviable success to a committed and protective father and coach, Richard Williams, who taught his Black daughters to maintain the pride and viability of their Blackness in the face of lethal Whiteness.
Serena Williams has endured the hateful wrath of authoritative figures, who dare to publicly shame her physique based on her choice of outfits while competing at prominent venues. There was no consideration for the fact that her near-death experience after giving birth to her daughter, and the long-awaited return to the career that she’s worked hard to sustain was an uncanny feat that many can barely fathom.
