Venus and Serena Williams are tennis champions. We all know that. Their achievements speak for themselves. They have earned the respect, the ranking and the money to never return to their Compton, California roots, but they did.
The seven-time Grand Slam champion older sister Venus William, quietly returned to Compton last year, according to the Los Angeles Times.
“We always keep it low-key. We don’t come and make an announcement that we’re here,” said Venus. “This has always been our roots and always will be. It makes us proud.”
But it’s why they came back this time which made the trip bitter sweet.
The Williams sisters came back this weekend to specifically honor their late big sister, Yetunde Price, who was murdered in a 2003 drive-by shooting in the Compton, Calif., community. She was a registered nurse, co-owner of a beauty shop and a mother. She was only 31 when she was killed and left behind three young nephews to the tennis champions.
Serena joined Venus on Friday at the Dollarhide Community Center to discuss details of the Yetunde Price Resource Center, which isn’t far from their former childhood home, is scheduled to open in Compton early next month.
The Yetunde Price Resource Center, will act as a community center for residents who have been affected by violence, is funded with a five-year endowment from the Williams Sisters Fund, and will help those from the community affected by violence and trauma. Sharoni Little, the center’s chief operating officer, projected that the center will serve 50 clients per month.
“This is an incredible investment and commitment by Serena and Venus Williams, and I commend them for their desire to help children and families in Compton thrive,” says Compton Mayor Aja Brown. “The resource center will serve as vital support to existing nonprofits and organizations that provide critical services to our community. I understand firsthand…
…the power of partnership, and I am confident that the resource center will play a major role in breaking down silos in our community by facilitating key partnerships to increase asset leveraging and expanding the impact of services. The resource center will be able to map all of the resources in and around the Compton community while providing customized assistance that will be a vital asset to improving our ability to service our youth, adults and families.”
“We’re really appreciative to have this opportunity,” Serena stated. “And to have it in Compton, I think, brings everything full circle. We started here and we want to make sure people understand this is a great place to be.”
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