OF. ALL. TIME. There are no words to describe the mastery we get to witness in this moment. Thinking back on it all, its been an extreme privilege to grow up watching Serena Williams and Venus Williams my entire life. Yes, this win is special for all of us. But for Black girls... It’s deep. The ones of us who signed up for tennis after seeing two sisters from Compton win match after match and make their way to front of Wheaties boxes and Gatorade ads... The ones of us who grew up desperately looking for women who would be their full selves in spaces that demanded that they shrink... The ones who would get made fun of for wearing braids all year round... The ones who never quite fit into the molds anyone wanted for us... This win, this moment is uniquely ours. Serena is ours. And she has let us know her entire life that she is ours, proudly. From facing racists crowds, to staring hatred in the face, to combatting inappropriate questions about who she and her sister thought they were, for standing in the gap and using her voice for everything from black women’s mortality rates to equal pay... She is and always has been ours. Those of us who were in middle school and younger are old enough now to appreciate her greatness in a new way. She had the world on her shoulders and still became the greatest athlete of all time. And though many of us don’t know her personally, I have a feeling she may be up there with one of the greatest women of all time, too. Thank you for showing us how to work for our dreams with our whole hearts. With fearless passion and truth, in love and through tears, come injury and media storms, as our fullest selves. Serena Jameka Williams, wow. Thank you for showing us that we can win in ANY arena we want to. We know how to win because watched you. Thank you isn’t enough but whew, thank you. #serenawilliams @serenawilliams Image: @time’s Sept 12 issue