Serena Williams is “definitely” a feminist and feels “proud” to give herself that label.
The 35-year-old professional tennis player, who is expecting her first child with her fiancé Alexis Ohanian, believes greatly in sticking up for women’s rights and is “proud” to be a feminist.
She told Stellar magazine, “There are barriers I hope to break so my baby, whether boy or girl, won’t have to live under those stipulations.
“I definitely am a feminist. I like to stick up for women and women’s rights. So many things happen and I just think ‘Wow, why don’t we have a chance?’ If that makes me a feminist, I am proud to be one.”
It comes after Williams penned a letter demanding equal pay among Black women in America.
She wrote, “Today is Black Women’s Equal Pay Day. This day shines a light on the long-neglected fact that the gender pay gap hits women of colour the hardest. Black women are 37 cents behind men in the pay gap – in other words, for every dollar a man makes, Black women make 63 cents.
“I’d like to acknowledge the many realities black women face every day. To recognize that women of color have to work – on average – eight months longer to earn the same as their male counterparts do in one year. Even black women who have earned graduate degrees get paid less at every level. This is as true in inner cities as it is in Silicon Valley.
“I have been treated unfairly, I’ve been disrespected by my male colleagues and – in the most painful times – I’ve been the subject of racist remarks on and off the tennis court. Luckily, I am blessed with an inner drive and a support system of family and friends that encourage me to move forward. But these injustices still hurt.
“Together, we will change the story – but we are going to have to fight for every penny. Growing up, I was told I couldn’t accomplish my dreams because I was a woman and, more so, because of the color of my skin. In every stage of my life, I’ve had to learn to stand up for myself and speak out.”
