{"product_id":"different-strokes-serena-venus-and-the-unfinished-black-tennis-revolution-9781496214652","title":"Different Strokes: Serena, Venus, and the Unfinished Black Tennis Revolution","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn important contribution to sports collections.\u003c\/b\u003e--Brenda Barrera, \u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe days of tennis as a country club sport for the aristocracy have long passed, as have the pre-Open era days when Black players faced long odds just to be invited to the four Grand Slam events. An entire generation of sports fans has grown up seeing Venus and Serena Williams as the gold standard in American professional tennis. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAlthough the Williams sisters have done more than any other players to make tennis accessible to a diverse population, it's not as if the tennis revolution is over. When you watch tennis next, take a close look at the umpire, the person sitting in the high chair of authority at courtside. Look at the tournament referee and the tournament director, the officials who run the tournament. In those seats of power and influence, Blacks are still woefully underrepresented. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eDifferent Strokes\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e chronicles the rise of the Williams sisters, as well as other champions of color, closely examining how Black Americans are collectively faring in tennis, on the court and off. Despite the success of the Williams sisters and the election of former pro player Katrina Adams as the U.S. Tennis Association's first Black president, top Black players still receive racist messages via social media and sometimes in public. The reality is that while significant progress has been made in the sport, much work remains before anything resembling equality is achieved. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWatch a book trailer.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCecil Harris\u003c\/b\u003e is a sports journalist and has covered major tennis events including the U.S. Open and the Women's Tennis Association Championships in New York, and he has written for the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e, the Associated Press, and \u003ci\u003eUSA Today\u003c\/i\u003e. He is the author of several books, including \u003ci\u003eCharging the Net: A History of Blacks in Tennis from Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe to the Williams Sisters\u003c\/i\u003e. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"University of Nebraska Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50368812941586,"sku":"9781496214652","price":21.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_345beb38-d567-4427-befa-93e2a9ce320f.jpg?v=1728515162","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/different-strokes-serena-venus-and-the-unfinished-black-tennis-revolution-9781496214652","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}