Serena Williams thanks her mother, Oracene Price, for showing her how to be a strong, powerful woman in a world filled with ignorance and hate.
Nothing makes you reflect on the phenomenal work your mother put in like having a child of your own.
Serena Williams, who gave birth to a girl earlier this month is no different.
In a Reddit post entitled Dear Mom, the tennis pro thanked her mother for “being the role model I needed to endure all the hardships that I now regard as a challenges–ones that I enjoy.”
“I hope to teach my baby Alexis Olympia the same, and have the same fortitude you have had.”
The full letter reads
Dear Mom,
You are one of the strongest women I know. I was looking at my daughter (OMG, yes, I have a daughter 😳) and she has my arms and legs! My exact same strong, muscular, powerful, sensational arms and body. I don’t know how I would react if she has to go through what I’ve gone through since I was a 15 year old and even to this day.
I’ve been called man because I appeared outwardly strong. It has been said that that I use drugs (No, I have always had far too much integrity to behave dishonestly in order to gain an advantage). It has been said I don’t belong in Women’s sports — that I belong in Men’s — because I look stronger than many other women do. (No, I just work hard and I was born with this badass body and proud of it).
But mom, I’m not sure how you did not go off on every single reporter, person, announcer and quite frankly, hater, who was too ignorant to understand the power of a black woman.
I am proud we were able to show them what some women look like. We don’t all look the same. We are curvy, strong, muscular, tall, small, just to name a few, and all the same: we are women and proud!
You are so classy, I only wish I could take your lead. I am trying, though, and God is not done with me yet. I have a LONG way to go, but thank you.
Thank you for being the role model I needed to endure all the hardships that I now regard as a challenges–ones that I enjoy. I hope to teach my baby Alexis Olympia the same, and have the same fortitude you have had.
Promise me, Mom, that you will continue to help. I’m not sure if I am as meek and strong as you are yet. I hope to get there one day. I love you dearly.
Your youngest of five,
Serena
Serena and husband Alexis Ohanian
As previously reported, the tennis great accidentally revealed her pregnancy by uploading a photo of herself to Snapchat with the caption “20 weeks.”
Her representatives were forced to confirm the exciting news just hours after the tennis star posted (and quickly deleted) an image of her growing baby bump.
“Well, actually it was an accident,” she told Gayle King at Tuesday’s 2017 Ted Talks conference. “I was on vacation just taking some time for myself and I have this thing where I’ve been checking my status and taking pictures every week to see how far along I’m going.”
She added: “I didn’t tell a lot of people to be quite honest and I’d been saving it. On social media, you press the wrong button and… Thirty minutes later I missed four calls and I’m like, ‘That’s weird.’ But it was a good moment. I was only going to wait five or six more days [to share].”
The pregnancy announcement was met with utter joy and no small amount of amazement as quick-thinking fans worked out that the 23-time Grand Slam winner was approximately eight weeks pregnant during the Australian Open—which she won—in January.
