Letter+to+Althea+Gibson

Dear Althea Gibson, I wish we could have talked, you and I. We both play sports, we both are women, and we both enjoy having the right to play what we want. The difference is you had to fight to play tennis, while all I have to do is get a racket and play. You were discriminated against because of your sex and your color. I am free to do what I want, and no one says a thing. When you started out playing tennis as a child in the 1930’s, and then later on in the 1940’s and 1950’s, women weren’t looked upon as athletes. Men thought that women were frail, and could easily break. Women were also discriminated in jobs that they took; earning less and being hired less than men. Blacks and whites were still segregated, especially in their mind sets. Blacks weren’t included in many sports or jobs, and were still considered to be of lesser quality than whites. So if you were a black women, you got the worst of it all. Discrimination for your race and your sex. But people like Bernice Sandler, Jackie Robinson, Thurgood Marshall, and Babe Didrikson, and you helped pave the way to my future. Althea, you were one of the first black women to break the sports barrier in tennis, and go on to win major titles. You won Wimbledon titles, titles in Europe, American Tennis Association titles, and respect. But you not only got those titles, you won a Grand Slam. Winning the four major tennis titles in one season is no small task! You helped other women see that they too could hold a racket and fight back, whatever color they were. Today, women such as Venus and Serena Willimas, Jennifer Capriati, Lindsay Davenport, and Chanda Rubin play with fairness and respect. That’s why your actions mean so much to me, because you helped others discover that they have what it takes. Althea, you would be proud if you saw the world today. I know you must have seen some of it while you were alive, yet with each passing year it gets better. Girls on football teams, young ladies going for academic scholarships, men and women holding jobs of equal status. It has changed so much from the 1900’s. Back when women were expected to stay at home and take care of their family. When some colleges and high schools put all of their budget into male athletics and none into girl’s. Blacks were finally getting equal laws, but enforcing them was still an issue. They were yelled at, and spat at; treated unfairly. Now, in the present day, it’s different. Colored people and white people, Mexican and European, work together. Jobs, families, communities, schools, governments, all have been integrated. But there is sad news. Some things are still not as fair as they should be. Men get paid more than women, whites sometimes get better jobs. There are still people in the world who will spew hate at those who are different from them. It makes me sad to know they are my fellows. Luckily, I am learning different. I am participating in a civil rights project, one that has lead me on a journey of discoveries. I’ve learned that there have been some nasty people in our world, those who would exclude others. The basis for these exclusions are because of difference. But I’ve also found heroes in our history. People who speak out for the lowly, people who let their opinion be known. These people aren’t afraid to try, and they encourage others to do the same. This civil rights project has meant a lot to me. For starters, it has taught me to be grateful. I’m overwhelmed by the power I posses to do whatever I want. If I wanted, I could be a lawyer, actress, athlete, or even a coach of a famous baseball team. Another thing this has taught me is that if you make up your mind to do something, then you can do it. Barriers didn’t stop women from doing what they wanted. With flying leaps and sledge hammers they crossed and cut down restrictions to new lives and hobbies. I want to do that too. Of course, I may never encounter setbacks in my life. I may never have to fight for my rights. But if I do, then I know what to do. I will gather information from past and present to show my case. I will rally support, and speak out. Concerning sports, I might even make my own team or league. Thank you so much Althea. Thank you for being strong through the worst; and bringing light to those in the dark. Sincerely, Adrian Copeland