William C. Rhoden, Andscape:
Well, the first thing that got me is when she said the R-word, because that terrifies me too.
That's the thing that resonated with me, just the idea of not doing something that you have been doing, in my case, since I was like 10 years old, and the idea of not retiring. And I know how terrifying it has to be for her to be 8 years old, to come from Compton, to become what I think, along with her sister — I have been doing this now for 49 years.
And I think, without doubt, the story of Venus and Serena Williams is probably the greatest sports story in United States history, bar none. And for her to finally wake up one day and look at her daughter, say, you know what, I just don't want to do this anymore. I know that has to be hard. It has to be pulling at her heart.
But if there's any solace, is that what she has accomplished for women, for Black women, for equity, I think, at this point of our history, is unparalleled. I think it's just — we're at the point now it's still fresh, and words, all the wordsmiths, words can't really describe the impact that she has had at so many levels.
I think about my Black mother, my Black sister, my Black daughter, and what she's meant for them in terms of empowerment, in terms of confidence, in terms of victory. It's just — it's just such mixed emotions, because I hate to see her go. I hate to see her go. But I'm so excited about these next chapters.
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