Joanie Clarkson
Serena Williams is perhaps the world's most famous tennis player. In Saginaw, Michigan on September 26th, 1981, Richard and Oracene Williams welcomed their daughter Serena JamekaWilliams into the world. Serena is one of 5 girls. One of her sisters, Venus, is also a famous tennis player.
After the family moved to Compton, California, Serena's dad started studying tennis so he could teach his daughters. Starting at just 3 years old, Serena started playing tennis. Soon enough, she would become a nationally ranked player in Junior tennis.
In 1995, Serena became a professional tennis player. After only 2 years of playing professionally, she would land herself at 99 in the world rankings. In 1999, at the U.S. Open, she won her first Grand Slam.
In 2000, Serena and Venus secured the gold medal at the Olympic Games. In 2002, the Williams sister would compete in the finals at the French Open, U.S. Open, and Wimbledon. Serena won it all that year. And in 2003 she won the Australian Open completing her second Grand Slam.
In 2008, she established the Serena Williams Foundation to support underprivileged children and children impacted by violent crime.
2011 was a scary time for Serena. She found out she had a blood clot in her lung and had to have surgery. Even though a lot of people thought this meant her time as a tennis player was over, Serena had other plans. She would go on to win Singles, Doubles, Mixed Double, and Grand Slam Titles, and is a four-time Olympic Gold Medal Winner.
This is a great video to highlight the amazing career of tennis legend, Serena Williams. During Black History Month, I think it is great to not only study Black Leaders of the past but also celebrate the success of current people too. This is an engaging and fun way for students to expand their knowledge of Black Leaders today. It might just inspire them to improve and serve their community too.
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