It’s no secret that our beloved Serena Williams has had to overcome huge odds and obstacles on her road to becoming the greatest athlete of all time. It is in this in which many black women see ourselves, are inspired and motivated by this representation.
We love Serena because we know what it is like to be ridiculed for how you look, talk, walk, and how your body is made. As fine as this woman is, the world (mainstream America) doesn’t see her beauty. Which is pretty much how women feel about America in general. Regardless of all the magic, we contribute to society, we are never appreciated for it. Appropriated maybe, but never appreciated.
…I felt defeated and disrespected by a sport that I love—one that I had dedicated my life to and that my family truly changed, not because we were welcomed, but because we wouldn’t stop winning.
Serena Williams, Harper’s Bazaar
This is nothing new to Black Women. This is why we rally behind her, in all her fierceness. In all her power. She is us and we are she. Serena penned an essay in Harper’s Bazaar magazine that pulled us along the familiar mental battles that many a black woman has on our journey to just being, let alone the added pressure of being a global phenomenon.
In short, it’s never been easy. But then I think of the next girl who is going to come along who looks like me, and I hope, “Maybe, just maybe, my voice will help her.”
Serena Williams, Harper’s Bazaar
Here are 5 things Serena’s grind is teaching black women:
- You’ve got to be tenacious.
- Find out what drives you to keep you going through those hard spots.
- You have limitless potential.
- You are more powerful beyond imagination. It is the challenges that prove how powerful you truly are.
- You should always strive to be your own woman
