United States tennis star Venus Williams has called for each and everyone to fight for black lives and speak up in order to fight racism 'that still pervades America.'
Venus and her success in tennis played a major role in African Americans making it to the forefront of American tennis and she created pathway for more black athletes to enter the system.
Venus expressed that the amount of solidarity for 'Black Lives Matter' she is seeing at the moment "has brought me to tears".
She recalled what it was like earlier to speak up about racism. She said it was "unpopular", "shunned" and "no one believed you."
She asked people to imagine that if police brutality against blacks could exist in this manner, then how ingrained is it in the system.
While asking for one and all to join hands with black people in this fight, she referenced her fight for equal money in tennis and said, "just as sexism is not only a "women's issue," racism is not only a "black issue".
She said it was important for the majority to speak, for the privileged to be loud and for everyone to speak everyday and all the time till black live begin to matter.
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Here is Venus' full statement:
I am deeply saddened that it has taken multiple acts of police brutality to make people painfully aware of the racism that still pervades America.
It shouldn't.
This just scratches the surface of the hideous face of racism in America.
Take a moment to imagine this:
If police brutality can exist and be tolerated so many years at this scale, imagine the other insidious acts of racism that permeate our country:
In the workplace.
In the justice system.
In the healthcare system.
In the education system.
...
Speaking up about racism in the past was unpopular. It was shunned. No one believed you.
Until you have walked in these shoes, as an African American, it is impossible to understand the challenges you face in the country, in this world. What it is like to be unheard, thought of foolish, silly or reckless to believe that racism still exists at every level.
This is no longer falling on deaf ears.
I'm amazed at the solidarity that has erupted across the USA.
It has brought me to tears.
In the past, I had the honor of fighting for equal prize money for all women's players at the grand slams in tennis. To make this even more simple to understand, just as sexism is not only a "women's issue," racism is not only a "black issue." When we fought for and won equal prize money, everyone pitched in, men and women, all colors all races. And we won.
When the majority groups stay quiet, when they sit in the chair of disbelief, they unwittingly condone the oppression of marginalized groups. Those with power and privilege actually have an easier time getting heard. They must CONTINUALLY exercise that privilege!
We MUST win!
We cannot let systematic racism persist.
We have to love one another. Help one another. Listen to one another, believe one another, even if we don't understand or will never walk in our neighbor's shoes.
Keep speaking out. Speak out today, tomorrow, next month, next year, each and every day until all is equal for African Americans.
I am so happy, so relieved, as an African American, to finally be heard.
I pray for those who have lost their lives and for their families so America could finally wake up and act. #blacklivesmatter
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