Last week I watched an ESPN special on the accomplishments of Venus Williams, an African American woman who became one of the greats in tennis. Her accomplishments were a testament to who she is both on and off the court. Perhaps most notable was her campaign to carry on the vision that tennis pioneer Billy Jean King (a white woman) began in 1968 to equalize prize money for male and female tennis players. Although many tournaments eventually paid men and women the same amount, Wimbledon, the oldest tennis tournament in the world refused to change. Williams met with tournament officials in 2005 to state her rationale for equalization, but they remained firm in their decision. Not to be silenced, she wrote an essay stating her convictions about equal pay the following year that appeared in a London newspaper the night before the 2006 Wimbledon tournament began. In 2007 Venus Williams won her fourth Wimbledon championship … and received the same amount of prize money as the male champion. An amazing victory for a young woman who turned the sport of tennis into a game accessible to anyone, not just the rich, white, country club crowd.
As I watched the story of Venus Williams I remembered what it was like for me in the 1960s. I was an aspiring young Japanese American blind male who hoped to one day become employed, get married and have a family. But I was totally consumed by my ethnicity and blindness and wasn’t sure I could accomplish any of those dreams. When I was in graduate school and on my first job at a community college I met three African American men, Tom Gunnings, Jay Jones, and Jonathon West who taught me that although we come from different identity groups, we can still help each other strive for equity. Their lessons on prejudice, racism, oppression, and collusion were tools that I developed and use as a consultant, trainer and speaker.
Williams and King reminded me that just because a vision is cast, it may not be reached or realized right away. And sometimes the one who casts the vision may not even live to see it come to fruition.
About the author: Steve Hanamura is the President of Hanamura Consulting. For the past 25 years, Steve Hanamura has been working with organizations to help them build constructive relationships through collaboration, increased understanding and new insights. Whether speaking to a thousand or training ten, Steve inspires and changes lives.
