Arthur Ashe Legacy

Arthur Ashe

“’He trusted me…. With my father, my reputation was solid,’” said Arthur Ashe, when he was falsely accused of destroying a cabin during a tennis competition in 1960 (Lazo 38-40). As an African American at the time, Ashe constantly faces discrimination and limited opportunities. However, despite having a more challenging childhood than his tennis playing peers, Arthur Ashe risen to become an admirable athlete and achieved his American Dream.

Naturally, like many other colored children, Ashe was treated differently, but he was determined not to let this bias restraint his potentials. Arthur Robert Ashe, Jr. was born in July 10, 1943 in Richmond, Virginia, to Mattie Ashe and Arthur Ashe Sr., his father, who was a public parks supervisor (Johnson 208). Growing up during this time period, Ashe could easily get into trouble even if he wanted it or not. Consequently, he always had to pay extra attention to his actions and behaviors. After Mattie’s death when he was six, his father imposed strict rules on him and his sibling, fearing they would get into troubles (Huso). They were expected to be at home or at the parks, and they were to go home immediately after school (Johnson 208). Arthur Senior even measure the time it took for his sons to walk home, “’1 had exactly 12 minutes to get home from school,’” Ashe recalled (Huso). It is because under his dad’s disciplinary that he was able to confront later hardships in his life, as in the incident during the 1960 Middle Atlantic Junior Championship in Wheeling, West Virginia. Ashe was branded as the culprit of destroying a cabin on the premises by some other white players, a crime he did not conduct, and even worse, the fabricated story was published by local newspapers (Lazo 39-...

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...ion was a huge obstacle which leads to limited opportunities. Nevertheless, with luck, determination, and help from the supportive adults in his life, Ashe was able to overcome the constant injustices he faced and do what he loved best. The results of his hard works were his tennis victories, and from his good character, he gained admiration from others. Ashe had said, “’Racism is not an excuse to not do the best you can’” (Arthur Ashe: quote on racism).

In conclusion, Arthur Ashe successfully accomplished his American Dream, earned admiration from many and was recognized as one of the greatest tennis player in the country. As one of the first African American male tennis player who overcame inequality, he became an inspiration to others and encouraged them to work hard for their dreams. It had been years ever since his death in 1993, yet his legacy still live on.