Written by: Ray Lamar Inspired by: Artist Bill Rembert
Professional Athletes are very busy people given all the hours spent training, traveling, rehabbing, and watching film. Add on top of those factors the fact that they must spend time with family and friends, sometimes there just aren’t enough hours in the day. Athletes also exert a large amount of energy and effort playing the sport they love. But what about the group of fans that want autographs after the match is over, or the mission trip in a foreign country, and the people that need them when catastrophes happen in the world. Athletes must be special people to handle all the things that come their way on a consistent basis. Arthur Ashe gave us an example of what extra effort looks likes, and during a life where misfortunate events came his way. Ashe didn’t complain or make up excuses, he gave service and helped inspire people that needed something inspire them to fight.
Arthur Ashe became the first and only African American male tennis player to win the U.S. Open and Wimbledon singles titles. In addition to this Ashe was the first African American man to be ranked No. 1 in the world. Setting all types of records his Era he would also become the first African American man to be inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame. However, all would come crashing down on his career as he learned that during a blood transfusion, he contracted AIDs. Immediately after this Ashe would turn his already strong activist roots toward the cause and raising awareness about the disease.
Ashe was huge in the community, and with the inner-city population. He led the charge to create inner city tennis programs for youth, partnered to start the association of Men’s Tennis Professionals and spoke out against apartheid in South Africa. He felt so strongly about the cause in South Africa that he lobbied for a visa so he could go play tennis and visit the country. Ashe also was a writer and wrote three volumes called a Hard Road to Glory published in 1988. Ashe Also served as national campaign chairman of the American Heart Association. In order to help create awareness about AIDS he delivered a speech at the United Nations. During this work he started a foundation and helped raise 5 million dollars for the organization. One year before he passed away Ashe would be arrested in Washington while protesting over the treatment of Haitian refugees by the United States.
Editor’s Note: This article first published on February 23, 2020.