Billie Jean King: A Trailblazer in Female Activism and Empowerment

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Source: TED

In the age of female activism, it is hard to imagine a time where the passion for the advancement of women in the workplace, sports and society was limited to very few female activists paving the way for the generations to come. One of the most prominent female activists and leaders in women’s sports, Billie Jean King, sat down with Pat Mitchell at a TEDWomen’s event in 2015 to discuss her involvement in the advancement of women’s rights.

As a young female athlete, several coaches and leaders in my sport have used King and her iconic tennis performance against Bobby Riggs as an example of a female athlete defying odds and performing under pressure. I vividly remember a clip of the iconic match being shown to my high school softball team before an important game as a way of motivating us to perform against our seasoned and successful opponent. However, King’s performance was more than just your run-of-the-mill motivational sports highlight on YouTube, it was a major step toward social change in a time where women needed to take drastic measures to prove themselves as worthy of future equitable opportunity.

“I thought, ‘If I lose, it's going to put women back 50 years, at least.’ Title IX had just been passed the year before,” said King. “And there were nine of us that signed that one-dollar contract. And our dream was for any girl, born any place in the world -- if she was good enough -- there would be a place for her to compete and for us to make a living… we made 14 dollars a day, and we were under the control of organizations. So we really wanted to break away from that. But we knew it wasn't really about our generation so much; we knew it was about the future generations.”

As I listened to King’s interview, I was in awe of her ambition and activist mindset that developed so early in her career and persisted throughout her life. She discussed a moment as a 12-year old tennis player where she looked around and noticed the lack of gender and racial diversity in the sport of tennis; this moment was the first time she felt like she needed to help and vowed to work towards change.

She kept her word and has spent the entirety of her adult life fighting for the equal rights of women and minority groups on and off the court. She successfully used her success as a female athlete to lobby for equal pay for women athletes and the Women’s Sports Foundation. Her hustle on and off the court gave other women the confidence and empowerment to ask for raises and opportunities that women wouldn’t dare ask for in the past. Her contribution to the Women’s Movement also successfully molded the minds of men in the past and present.

“They go, ‘Billie, I was very young when I saw that match, and now I have a daughter. And I am so happy I saw that as a young man.’ And one of those young men, at 12 years old, was President Obama. And he actually told me that when I met him, he said: ‘You don't realize it, but I saw that match at 12. And now I have two daughters, and it has made a difference in how I raise them.’ Both men and women got a lot out of it, but different things.”

What truly excited me about King’s interview is her current approach toward equality and making a difference. While many activists only focus on the legislation and law side of equal rights, King also focuses her efforts on making changes to the workforce to allow people of all backgrounds to feel comfortable being their authentic selves. Her leadership initiative does research and works to increase the public and corporate America’s understanding of inclusivity and representation. Her and her fellow activists not only work to continue protecting Title IX and the important legislation that protects women from discrimination, but they also are making grassroot changes to the everyday functioning of the workforce.

As a lover of sport and future female activist, listening to trailblazers such as Billie Jean King speak about the hard work required to make real change it is both inspiring and humbling. She has worked alongside some of the most powerful women and has dedicated her whole life to advocacy, and yet we still have a long way to go. I am thankful that women like King have successfully paved the way for this next generation of leaders, and I hope to make my own contribution to the movement and advocate for progressive change alongside my fellow visionaries.

Source: USA Today