(ThyBlackMan.com) Serena Williams. The only professional tennis player (male or female) to win two Grand Slam titles this year: Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. The U.S. Open marked her 15th Grand Slam title. And don’t forget her gold-medal slamming performance at this year’s Olympics in London. Even when it’s something positive, like how beautiful she was in a tv talk show appearance, we can’t help but comment how she was ‘slamming’ in her Grand Slam that red dress! LOL.
Seems like you can’t say Serena Williams without saying ‘slamming’. Yet, these positive events are not the only ‘slams’ she receives from the media. Who can forget the controversy of her ‘crip walk’ dance after winning the Singles Gold match at the 2012 Olympics? She was slammed for the dance and had her celebratory outburst called inappropriate, distasteful and misguided. 
It appears that more often than not, Serena Williams gets slammed for things that other professional athletes – especially female – never take heat for. Here’s a black woman who is dominating the professional tennis arena with a grace, poise and athleticism that is off the charts.
Yet the media chooses to focus on her hair (the bane of every black woman’s existence), her body/physique, her sportsmanship, her dating choices and any other detail they can come up with to try and detract from her utter dominance in the world of professional tennis.
Serena Williams is a great athlete who deftly handles the criticism by excelling in her sport and never letting the detractors take her out of her game. There is a powerful lesson to be learned from Serena Williams. She has a competitor’s spirit and fierceness that is awesome. Serena Williams shows us that focusing on the positive, holding on to the love of family and always putting forth your absolute best effort is how we can overcome any of life’s challenges.
She is human and has failings like any of us. However, she consistently demonstrates that you can rise above those failings and outside criticisms without becoming a victim. You never hear Serena Williams blaming others or playing the ‘poor me’ card. She exemplifies the heart of a champion. A talented, bold, beautiful and proud black woman, Serena Williams also shows us that regardless of our environment or upbringing, we can compete on the same level and same stage as any other person.
She teaches us that being black and female CAN be a gift, and can empower us to excel. Little black girls can look to her for inspiration and motivation. Older black women can also be inspired to succeed in the face of any kinds of ‘slams’ society hurls at us whether it is in the boardroom, the courtroom or the classroom. Serena Williams inspires us to embrace our blackness and all that comes with it while striving to be the best we can be.
So my sisters, do your thing—-crip walk when you get that promotion, dance when you walk across that graduation stage, and raise your own racket whenever you or your daughter or anyone’s daughter succeeds. Slam back at your critics with continued success, and consistent grace. Thank you Serena Williams for showing us that we can be ‘slamming’ too.
Staff Writer; NOLA_Diva
Contact the Ent. Guru at; NolaDiva@ThyBlackMan.com