Claudia Rankine's "The Meaning of Serena Williams"

The article, The Meaning of Serena Williams, by Claudia Rankine is an excellent story as the author captures the legendary Williams from a new angle. Rankine looks at Serena’s victories and how she persevered through racism. The article details how Serena showed all the human emotions experienced when playing a competitive sport and wasn’t afraid to show it.

According to the author, her will to win could be felt by just watching her play. The author leaves no detail for interpretation in this article, describing outfits and settings in great detail. She uses quotes from Serena’s father among others to bolster her idea. This amount of detail might be overkill for big tennis fans, but it is helpful for most readers who don’t keep up with the sport. The article outlines Williams’ career accomplishments, before following an interview conducted by the author. His interview continues to lead the article, going over how tennis associations and fans have continually doubted her. Rankine finishes by stating how Williams is “achieving a new kind of history for all of us (African-Americans)”.

Rankine does well in understanding her audience and breaking up her article with excerpts from related works. She uses significant amounts of details in order to build a distinct image in the reader's head. Her ability to change an interview into an article is clearly shown in this work. Rankine also makes sure to relate whatever she is referencing back to the overarching theme of African-Americans struggle and triumph.

Claudia Rankine's details and analysis of Serena Williams through a deeper lens than just her accomplishments on the court create an important story that certainly deserves the recognition it has received.