LOS ANGELES: Serena Williams vowed she would not be “silent” on issues of social injustice on Tuesday as she reflected on the recent deaths of African-American men at the hands of law enforcement.
In a heartfelt post on her Facebook page, the tennis superstar said she felt moved to speak out after being unnerved at the sight of a police officer while being driven by her 18-year-old nephew.
“Today I asked my 18 year old nephew (to be clear he’s black) to drive me to my meetings so I can work on my phone,” the former world No. 1 wrote.
“In the distance I saw cop on the side of the road. I quickly checked to see if he was obliging by the speed limit.
“Then I remembered that horrible video of the woman in the car when a cop shot her boyfriend. All of this went through my mind in a matter of seconds.
“I even regretted not driving myself. I would never forgive myself if something happened to my nephew. He’s so innocent. So were all ‘the others’,” Williams added.
The United States has been gripped by a spike in racial tensions in the past week after the latest killings of black men by police.
The deaths, in Oklahoma and North Carolina, were the latest in a series of incidents over the past two years that have brought issues of police brutality and racism to the forefront of national debate.
Williams said her reaction had left her determined to speak out.
“Why did I have to think about this in 2016? Have we not gone through enough, opened so many doors, impacted billions of lives? But I realised we must stride on — for it’s not how far we have come but how much further still we have to go,” she wrote.
“I than wondered than have I spoken up? I had to take a look at me. What about my nephews? What if I have a son and what about my daughters? As Dr. Martin Luther King said ‘There comes a time when silence is betrayal’. I won’t be silent.”
Meanwhile, Williams will headline the Auckland Classic in January, organisers said on Wednesday, hailing her appearance as a major coup for the New Zealand tournament.
The 22-time Grand Slam winner has never played in the January 2-7 tournament before, preferring to warm-up for the Australian Open at the Hopman Cup in Perth in recent years.
“We are obviously over the moon with this news. Serena is one of the biggest sporting stars on the planet,” tournament director Karl Budge said.
Williams, the reigning Wimbledon champion, is currently ranked No. 2 in the world after Angelique Kerber broke her 186-week reign at the top.
She is likely to regain the No. 1 spot if she can claim a seventh Australian Open crown at the season-opening Grand Slam in Melbourne.
The 35-year-old American said a good run in Auckland would set her up well for a tilt at her 23rd major, giving her sole custody of the Open-era record she currently shares with Steffi Graf.
“(It’s) the first event of the year. It can really set you up for a great run in Melbourne and I will be looking to start my year strongly in Auckland,” she said.
“I am really excited to be coming to Auckland for the first time. I have heard so many great things about the city and the tournament itself and I have always wanted to play there.”
