Serena Williams sat down with husband Alexis Ohanian for an interview session on Instagram Live where they discussed the current climate surrounding race relations in the United States.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion decided to speak out following the death of African American George Floyd, who died on May 25 after former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for several minutes.
His death has inspired international protests and drawn new attention to the treatment of African Americans by police and the criminal justice system.
Williams highlighted the importance of using their platform to elevate the issues of the current climate and using their voices to bring about change.
She said: “At no point in my career, did I feel like I was ever in the wrong room, or that I was ever being judged.”
“I’m always letting you know what I see. I see things different. My whole life, I’ve been taught to see things different because who I am and because of the colour of my skin.
“You see things different because of the colour of your skin. I’m just telling you my view, and when you get to see it from my point of view, it’s just totally different. There have been so many situations I’ve been in where I’ve just had to take the high road, even to this day.
“I’m proud, I’ve always been proud to be who I am, to be black, and I just feel like I wouldn’t be who I am, I wouldn’t be as strong as I am, I wouldn’t have been able to be as amazing I have been so far in my career, I wouldn’t be me if I wasn’t black. I’ve always leaned into that, I get that from my parents.
“They taught me the power of loving myself and it is, now more than ever, a great time to love yourself.” (SkySports)
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