Record Smasher. Business Mogul. Proud Mum! World tennis champ Serena Williams is British Vogue’s November cover star and she’s not holding back.
Serena Williams Covers British Vogue
During an interview with the mag, the 39 year old spoke up against racism and its effect on the black community. In the empowering interview the 23 Grand slam champ revealed that despite her unarguable success in the tennis world she is still underpaid and undervalued, revealing technology has impacted positively in highlighting racial discrimination and violence.
Serena Williams Poses For British Vogue
“Now, we as Black people have a voice – and technology has been a huge part of that,” she said.
“We see things that have been hidden for years; the things that we as people have to go through. This has been happening for years. People just couldn’t pull out their phones and video it before.
“I think for a minute they (white people) started – not to understand, because I don’t think you can understand – but they started to see,” she added.
“I was like: well, you didn’t see any of this before? I’ve been talking about this my whole career. It’s been one thing after another.”
“I’ve never been a person that has been like, ‘I want to be a different colour’ or ‘I want my skin tone to be lighter.’ I like who I am, I like how I look, and I love representing the beautiful dark women out there. For me, it’s perfect. I wouldn’t want it any other way,” she said.
“Maybe it doesn’t get better in time for me, but someone in my position can show women and people of colour that we have a voice, because Lord knows I use mine,” she was quoted as saying.
Serena Williams Poses For British Vogue’s November 2020 Issue
On body positivity, tennis pro Serena opens up about how she often felt like her older sister, Venus Williams, 40, fit more easily into society’s beauty ideals.
“When I was growing up, what was celebrated was different,” Serena Williams told the magazine. “Venus looked more like what is really acceptable: she has incredibly long legs, she’s really, really thin. I didn’t see people on TV that looked like me, who were thick. There wasn’t positive body image. It was a different age.”
Although accepting and embracing her body took many years she’s super grateful for how it helped her throughout her successful run in the tennis industry.
“How amazing that my body has been able to give me the career that I’ve had, and I’m really thankful for it. I only wish I had been thankful sooner,” she said.
Becoming a mother also played a major role in influencing the way Williams sees her body, and she says her daughter, Olympia, 3, is her biggest inspiration.
“It just all comes full circle when I look at my daughter,” she said
Serena isn’t just about solo success but about empowering other women and inspiring them to chase their dreams.
“In this society, women are not taught or expected to be that future leader or future CEO. The narrative has to change,” she said. “I love sticking up for people and supporting women. Being the voice that millions of people don’t have.”
