In this day and age when a majority of black families are without fathers, we should all take notice when one not only rises from the ashes, but also attains great fame and fortune in the process. There are several families that come to mind-The Jackson Family, headed by Joe Jackson; The Marsalis family, piloted by father Ellis; and the Williams family, led by the incomparable Richard Williams.
What Richard Williams accomplished could quite easily be called impossible. Raising his family in Compton, California, one of the worse ghettos in the nation, Williams dedicated his life to his two daughters Venus and Serena. So many doubted him-yet he continued to train his daughters to be the best tennis players in the world. I have to admit what I know about the man is limited to information I gather from the internet, but my desire is to know so much more. He should be a beacon to all in the black community-both men and women alike. He stood face to face with racism and poverty and managed to never blink. Not only did he survive, but he triumphed where so many have failed, (or never bothered to try).
So much negativity is directed toward black men in this country. A lot of that negativity is adopted by black women and black men, in the attempts to remain the patriarch of their families, catch hell because of it. I know, I've lived it. Whatever her reasons, Oracene trusted Richard and, from what I can see, stood behind him every step of the way. I know how hard it is to see the sun that shines on Wimbledon, the U.S. Open, and Roland Garros from the mean streets of Compton, but Richard saw it and Oracene believed. I'm not saying that it was a walk down easy street for her-I'm just saying she, at some point, believed in his dream. Many men fall prey to non believing women who sabotage their attempts to garner success in whatever field they strive. Again, I've experienced it first hand.
It would seem like the world, both black and white, would embrace a man like Richard Williams as a true American hero. But he still receives the cold shoulder from the media, and I don't hear much about him in the black community either. All we ever focus on is the fruit (e.g. Venus and Serena) and not the tree that produced that fruit. I can understand the white worlds trepidation-Richard wasn't supposed to rise above the systematic poverty that grips the inner-city. He was supposed to succumb to gun violence, drugs, crime, or have his spirit crushed by the constant presence of the suppressive police force that harasses and abuses inner-city black males on a daily basis. He and his daughters were never supposed to take the world stage and dominate a sport that is reserved for the wealthy and elite of this nation. But, as Richard so eloquently put it when Venus defeated Lindsay Davenport at Wimbledon in the year 2000, Straight outta Compton!" and his family never looked back.
What Richard Williams represents is what the world would have to face if the black family had not been so devastated by welfare in the 60's and 70's, the crack epidemic in the 80's and AIDS in the 90's and the present. If so many black fathers hadn't got caught up in the drug game and so many black mothers in the blame game, the world would see an emergence of successful black athletes, politicians, musicians, physicians, scientists, etc. Euro-centric history doesn't teach us about the great black civilizations that existed when Europeans were in their dark ages but men like Richard Williams, Earl Woods (father of golf great Tiger Woods), and James Jordan, Sr. (Michael Jordan's dad), are examples of the greatness we could once again achieve if we focused on rebuilding our family structure. All too often we face opposition both inside the home and out. Many black men choose to leave the family structure in search of peace. I know I've walked away from many a relationship because of the constant battle I faced with women who seemed hell bent on existing in an impoverished state. The question I always faced was, "Why do you think you're better than everyone else?" Well, because I am. We all are. We can all do better if we'd just try.
I hope that one day someone will make a movie about Richard Williams, before he's no longer with us. We should celebrate people while they are amongst us so that they know we appreciate their hard work and dedication. Richard Williams is not only a credit to the Williams' family and the afro community, but he's a credit to the human race. He managed to wade through the societal muck and emerge victorious! I congratulate the man. I am in deep awe of what he has accomplished and we should all strive to be like Richard Williams.
TPOKW?
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