Serena and Venus Williams’ father, Richard, once made a candid admission about his experiences with racism as a Black man in America. He revealed that he was no stranger to it and, on several occasions, came dangerously close to being “killed”.
Richard grew up in Shreveport, Louisiana, before moving to Saginaw, Michigan, Long Beach, California and finally Compton. His goal was to provide his daughters with a tough environment to help shape their mindset.
In his childhood, he had already encountered the harsh reality of racism. He once shared that he had seen a friend lynched in the 1940s and 1950s, an experience that affected him deeply.
The 82-year-old recalled the death of another friend who was run over by a white woman. The woman claimed it was the victim’s fault and Richard stated that there was no police investigation or any action.
“There was no search, there was no police car. But that was life. I almost got killed so many times. A hell of a lot of times,” Venus Williams’ father, Richard, told CNN in 2015.
Speaking about moving to Compton with his daughters, he said:
“To succeed you have to prepare for the unexpected – and I wanted to prepare for that. Criticism can bring out the best in you.”
‘This is the hardest moment in the world I’ve ever had’ – Venus Williams’ father Richard on Indian Wells racism controversy
A controversial incident occurred at Indian Wells in 2001 when Venus Williams withdrew from her semi-final match with her sister Serena shortly before it was scheduled to take place, citing a knee injury. This led to widespread speculation and accusations that Venus had withdrawn to avoid facing her sister in the final.
When Serena played in the final against Kim Clijsters, with her father Richard and Venus in the stands supporting her, they were met with a hostile crowd. Many observers believed that the hostility was fueled by racial prejudice. The boos during the match were loud, and both sisters later shared how uncomfortable and painful the experience was for them.
It was another encounter with racism for Richard, perhaps the one that traumatized him the most. He revealed to the media that he overheard a bystander talking about “being skinned alive”. Fearing for his safety, he vowed never to return to the tournament again.
“This is the hardest time in the world I’ve ever had,” Williams said. “I’m never going to Indian Wells again, because I think that guy is going to flay me alive.”
Both sisters boycotted the tournament, with Serena returning in 2015 and Venus following a year later in 2016.
Venus Williams and father Richard recall a match of the 7-time Grand Slam champion “he had to win”
Edited by Pritha Ghosh
