By Zoe Guo — Correspondent

(1943-1993)

Arthur Ashe, an African American boy raised in Richmond, Virginia, was a tennis prodigy. Starting at a young age, Arthur was coached by great stars like Ronald Charity and Dr. Walter Johnson, both of whom were drawn to Ashe’s potential. While he competed during his teen years and even throughout high school, Ashe began to make a name for himself and was even offered a scholarship by the University of California, Los Angeles. As the years passed, Ashe earned multiple firsts, including the first African American to represent the U.S. in the Davis Cup, the first African American winner of the U.S. Open, Australian Open, and Wimbledon, and eventually the best player nationally, according to the United States Lawn Tennis Association. After undergoing heart surgery in 1983, which involved a blood transfusion, Ashe became sick with HIV/AIDS, and he was no longer able to compete. Despite this, Ashe became determined to spread knowledge about the disease, and he started an organization called the Arthur Ashe Foundation for the Defeat of AIDS. After he passed away, former President Bill Clinton awarded Ashe with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his notable deeds. “True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic,” Ashe once said. “It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.”

Bibliography

“White House Statement on the Posthumous Award of the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Arthur Ashe | The American Presidency Project.” The American Presidency Project, 22 June 1993. Accessed 13 February 2024.

“Black History Month 2014 – 2009: In His Words | Arthur Ashe Legacy.” The Arthur Ashe Legacy at UCLA. Accessed 13 February 2024.

Ashe, Arthur. “Life Story | Arthur Ashe Legacy.” Arthur Ashe Legacy at UCLA. Accessed 13 February 2024.

Hudson, Walter. “Arthur Ashe: A Sportsman Who Changed the World.” Diverse: Issues In Higher Education, 8 April 2018. Accessed 13 February 2024.

“Arthur Ashe.” International Tennis Hall of Fame, International Tennis Hall of Fame, Accessed 13 February 2024.