100 Years of Fostering African-American Tennis Talent

At this month’s A.T.A. nationals, Jackie Shaw of Collegeville, Pa., said that she was often the only African-American at United States Tennis Association tournaments. She found the surroundings of an A.T.A. event far more relaxing.

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“Although there’s integration, there’s still separation, and it’s definitely not equal distribution,” Shaw said. “Many times I’ve played for the last 20 years, and it’s a rare occasion that I’m not the only person looking like me on the court. So to come to this court, there’s a familiarity, a comfort, and a feeling like you’re at home.”

She has encouraged her daughter, Jasmine Morris, to compete in A.T.A. events.

“It’s very important to know your history,” Shaw said, “to know where you came from, and to always know the struggles your ancestors experienced to get you here. You don’t want to forget that, and you don’t want your kids to forget it.

“We live in a predominantly white neighborhood and she goes to a predominantly white school, so it’s an opportunity for her to be directly involved in an African-American event, and see the importance, and see that we do exist.”

Marcel Henry of Atlanta said that the A.T.A. tournament felt like a “family reunion” and that the atmosphere of the gathering was just as rewarding as the competition itself. He, too, had an eye on the future.

“There’s still that opportunity to develop the next level of great tennis players here,” Henry said. “If we can be an inspiration to the younger generation that sees us out here playing, and they have an opportunity to get involved in the sport, and they see that there’s a support system behind them that wants them to be successful, I think that makes it worthwhile.”

Daryl McClellan of Newburgh, Ind., said he appreciated the absence of pressure from tokenism.

“When U.S.T.A. tournaments come around, as an African-American, I may be the only minority in the tournament,” he said. “There’s always this atmosphere that I’ve really got to show how good I can play. Here, it’s just tennis and camaraderie.”

Katrina Adams, president of the U.S.T.A., said the continuing importance of the A.T.A. was highlighted by the country’s current social climate.

“We have to remember where our history has come from, and when you look at what is happening in America today — literally, today — it’s going backwards,” Adams said. “Imagine if we didn’t have organizations like the A.T.A. around: Where would our sport be today?”

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