The amazing story of Althea Gibson, a star tennis player who fought an unfair world to make her dream come true
Learning Objective: Students will read a historical fiction play about Althea Gibson, a tennis star who fought segregation in her sport. Students will then identify how she persevered in an unfair world and changed the sport for future generations.
Scene 1
Serena Williams’s bedroom, Florida, March 1999
N1: Serena Williams is hunched over her desk, writing a list of questions. Her friend Lisa lounges on the bed.
Lisa: Is that for the social studies paper?
Serena Williams: Yeah, I’m writing about Althea Gibson. I’m going to send her a letter.
Lisa: Who’s Althea Gibson?
N2: Serena looks up, surprised.
Serena: Only one of the greatest tennis players EVER.
Lisa: Never heard of her. I bet she’s not as good as you.
Serena: Ha! When she was young, she was the best in the world. And she had to fight for it.
Lisa: What do you mean?
Serena: She grew up poor in the 1930s, when Black people weren’t allowed to eat at the same restaurants as White people, or go to the same schools, or compete in the same tennis games. The rules were unfair, so Althea broke them.
Lisa: She sounds tough.
Serena: She’s more than just tough! She was a pioneer in tennis . . . she’s Black, she looks like me, and she opened up so many doors.
Lisa: Wow, I hope she answers your questions. I want to hear her story.
© Genevieve Naylor /National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution/Courtesy Reznikoff Artistic Partnership (Harlem); Mauricio Paiz/Alamy Stock Photo (Serena Williams)
Althea Gibson shows kids in Harlem how to play paddle tennis in 1957. Throughout her life, Althea coached young athletes. Tennis stars like Serena Williams (inset) believe that Althea led the way for them to be successful.
Scene 2
Harlem, New York City, 1937
N3: It’s a hot, sticky day in August 1937. Ten-year-old Althea Gibson is playing in the street with other neighborhood kids.
Charles: Althea, try this new game!
Althea Gibson: What’s it called?
Charles: Paddle tennis. Here, I’ll show you.
N1: Charles takes a paddle and hits a small ball to Althea.
Charles: Now you hit it back.
N2: The ball flies between them, faster and faster.
N3: Then Althea whacks the ball. It soars past Charles before he can reach it.
Charles (annoyed): Go get that.
Althea: No, YOU get it. You’re the one who missed.
N1: Charles storms off to retrieve the ball.
Althea: This is fun! Alma, you try.
Alma Irving (doubtful): I’ll never be as good as you. You win every single game we play . . . baseball, basketball, football—and now this goofy paddle game.
Althea: Well, sports are easy for me. I’d always rather be outside playing games than sitting in class.
N2: Alma and Althea start playing.
N3: Their neighbor, musician Buddy Walker, sits nearby, watching.
N1: Althea beats Alma, and then every other kid.
Buddy Walker: Althea Gibson, look at you! You ever played this before?
Althea: Nope!
Buddy: Well, I’m going to get you a racket and show you how to play REAL tennis.
Althea: What’s a racket?
Buddy (laughing): You’ll see.
CARL T. GOSSETT JR./The New York Times/Redux
Unfair Rules
Until the 1960s, racist laws and ideas kept Black people separate from White people all over the U.S. Most tennis clubs were not open to Black players. In fact, Black players had to form their own tennis associations and couldn’t compete with White players. After Alice Marble and others spoke out against the unfair rules, Althea was allowed to compete in the biggest tennis tournament in the U.S. in 1950—the first Black person to do so.
AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
Althea and Alice Marble in 1950
Scene 3
National Girls Championship, Pennsylvania, 1942
N2: After Buddy buys Althea a secondhand tennis racket, he gets her into the Cosmopolitan Tennis Club in Harlem.
N3: It is one of the few clubs in the U.S. where Black people and White people can play tennis together.
N1: Soon she’s winning games against even the best adult players. The other club members quickly see Althea’s talent and want to help her succeed.
N2: They collect money to pay for her lessons and her tennis clothes.
N3: And they pay the fees to send her to her first big competition, a national tournament for Black girls.
N1: Rhoda Smith, a club member who’s taken a special interest in Althea, goes with her.
Rhoda Smith: This is a big day, Althea! How are you feeling?
Althea: Like I can beat anyone, Miss Rhoda.
Rhoda: Your confidence is a beautiful thing. But you shouldn’t boast.
Althea: Why not? I play better than anybody.
Rhoda: Well, don’t talk about it. Just go out there and do your best.
N2: And Althea does. In game after game, she keeps winning.
N3: A huge crowd claps as Althea walks onto the court for her match against Nana Davis.
Althea (looking at Nana): Get ready! I’m going to beat you.
N1: The match is tense. First, Althea is ahead. Then Nana.
N2: At each smack of the ball, people in the stands gasp, eyes wide.
N3: Althea and Nana are fighting for the title of best Black girl player in the U.S.
N1: The next point is crucial.
Announcer: Davis hits a long, low shot and . . . Gibson slams the ball into the net!
N2: Althea has lost!
N3: Nana walks up to the net to shake her hand.
Nana Davis: Good game!
N1: But Althea won’t even look at her. She stomps off the court, where Rhoda is waiting for her.
Rhoda: Althea, that’s no way to behave on a tennis court.
Althea: I should’ve won!
Rhoda: If you want to be the best, you have to act like the best. There are rules for tennis and rules for being polite.
Althea: I don’t like rules!
Rhoda: I know you don’t. But out here on the tennis court, you represent our club, our neighbors, our whole community. Do you understand that?
N2: Althea frowns, kicking at the ground.
Rhoda: A lot of people are counting on you, Althea.
N3: Althea looks up at Rhoda and takes a deep breath.
Althea (softly): I won’t let you down again.
Douglas Miller/Reg Burkett/Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Althea receives a kiss from her opponent Darlene Hard, after beating her and becoming the first Black player to win Wimbledon, in 1957.
Scene 4
Harlem, New York City, 1950
Shutterstock.com
N1: With the help and encouragement of other Black tennis players, Althea finishes high school and gets a full scholarship to a college in Florida.
N2: At 22, she’s now a top player.
N3: Her dream is to play at the U.S. National Championships, the biggest tennis tournament in the country.
N1: But to qualify, she needs to win lower-level matches, and those are held at tennis clubs where only White people are allowed to play.
N2: Althea and Alma sit together in their old neighborhood.
Althea: How can I prove I’m the best if I’m not even allowed to play?
Alma: It’s not fair.
Althea: I keep applying to all these tournaments. They still ban Black players. But that’s not going to stop me!
N3: Althea sighs.
Althea: I can follow the rules of the game, but not the rules meant to keep me out.
Alma: Well, you are good at breaking the rules, Althea.
N1: Just then, Buddy Walker comes hurrying down the street, waving a magazine.
Buddy: Althea! Did you hear? Alice Marble published a letter telling the Whites-only clubs they should let you play.
Alma: Who’s Alice Marble?
Althea: She’s a famous White tennis player! What does her letter say?
Buddy (reading): This is the best part—“Nobody has ever questioned my right to play in the Nationals because of the color of my skin.”
Althea: Do you think it’ll make a difference?
Buddy: I don’t know, but everybody in the tennis world is talking about it, Black and White.
Althea: Oh, I just want a chance to play!
N2: Alice Marble’s letter does make a difference. As do the many protests by both Black and White players against the racist rules that keep Black players from joining most tennis clubs and tournaments.
N3: Soon Althea becomes the first Black player to compete at the Nationals.
Phil Greitzer/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images
Althea waves at cheering crowds during a parade in New York City in 1957.
Scene 5
U.S. National Championships, New York City, 1950
Althea: I can’t believe this is happening.
Alma: We’re so proud of you.
Rhoda: You’re making history!
Althea: I know what it means for me to be here. I’ll keep the promise I made to you, Miss Rhoda.
N1: Althea faces Louise Brough, a world champion.
N2: Althea plays a graceful, powerful game. She’s in the lead, about to win!
N3: But then the skies turn dark and a drenching thunderstorm stops the match.
N1: The next day, back on the court . . .
N2: . . . Louise beats Althea in just 11 minutes.
Announcer: What a match!
N3: Althea goes to the net. Smiling, she shakes Louise’s hand.
Althea: Good game!
Announcer: Nobody can question that Althea Gibson earned her place here.
N1: As she leaves the court, Rhoda and Alma rush to hug her.
Rhoda: Althea, I’m more proud of you than if you had won.
Alma: You lost like a champion!
Scene 6
Wimbledon, England, 1957
Shutterstock.com
N2: Now the whole world knows what Althea can do on the tennis court.
N3: Tennis players all across the U.S. continue protesting for the rights of Black players to compete with White players.
N1: Little by little, the rules start changing. Althea begins to play everywhere.
N2: She travels to 18 tournaments overseas and wins 16 of them.
N3: Finally, she’s competing in the most important tennis championship in the world—Wimbledon, in England.
N1: The weather is steamy hot, but Althea easily beats player after player.
N2: Now it’s the final match, against Darlene Hard.
N3: Althea sends the balls soaring over the net. She flies across the court.
N1: And in 50 minutes, she has won the match.
N2: She’s the top tennis player in the world.
Althea (shouting): At last! At last!
N3: Althea runs to the net to shake Darlene’s hand.
Althea: You played so well, Darlene. I got lucky.
N1: Suddenly, a red carpet is rolled out onto the court. Queen Elizabeth walks over to Althea.
Queen Elizabeth: You’ve won Wimbledon, Miss Gibson! How does it feel?
Althea (smiling wide): Your Majesty, it feels like this is the prize for all the games I’ve ever played since I was a little girl.
Scene 7
New York City, 1957
N2: Althea returns to the U.S. in triumph. There is a parade for her in New York City.
N3: She rides in the mayor’s car, waving to thousands of fans.
Crowd: Althea! Althea!
N1: Afterward, she’s invited to a fancy lunch of delicious foods.
N2: The mayor stands to speak.
Robert Wagner: Today we honor a tennis legend, our own Althea Gibson—the best female tennis player in the world.
N3: People raise their glasses.
Crowd: To Althea!
Wagner: Althea, your family, friends, and neighbors have been proud of you for a long time. But today, ALL New Yorkers are proud of you.
Althea: Thank you, Mr. Wagner.
N1: Althea looks at all the smiling faces around her—famous politicians and tennis players seated right next to her old friends from Harlem.
N2: She swallows. Her eyes are misty.
Althea: If I’ve made it, it’s half because I was tough, and half because there were an awful lot of people who cared enough to help me.
Scene 8
Serena Williams’s bedroom, Florida, April 1999
N3: Serena flops on her bed, tired after a long tennis practice. Lisa is with her.
N1: The phone rings.
Serena: Hello?
Althea: This is Althea Gibson.
Serena (stammering): Miss Gibson! You got my letter? I . . . didn’t expect you to call.
Lisa (whispering): Is it really her?
Althea: You are something special on the tennis court. I love watching you play.
Serena: I can’t believe I’m talking to you.
Althea: Well, what’s the most important thing you want to ask me?
Serena: Um . . . do you have any advice for me? On how to be a tennis champion?
Althea (smiling): Don’t worry. The crowds will love you. Be who you are, and let your racket do the talking.
Julian Finney/Getty Images (Statue); SHUTTERSTOCK.COM (STAMP)
Althea Gibson passed away in 2003 at the age of 76. Over the years, statues and stamps have been made to celebrate her life and many accomplishments.
RUNNING PRESS KIDS
Write to Win
Write an essay on how Althea Gibson persevered in an unfair world. Explain how her actions made a difference. Entries must be submitted to “Tennis Contest” by a teacher, parent, or legal guardian.* Five winners will receive a copy of We Got Game! by Aileen Weintraub.
*Entries must be written by a student in grades 2-8 and submitted by their teacher, parent, or legal guardian, who will be the entrant and must be a legal resident of the U.S. age 18 or older. Visit the Storyworks Contests page for more information.
This play was originally published in the February 2024 issue.
Table of Contents
Close Reading, Critical Thinking
4. Differentiate and Customize
Striving Readers, Advanced Readers, Multilingual Learners
1. Preparing to Read
Build Background, Preview Vocabulary, and Set a Purpose for Reading
2. Reading the Play
Author’s Note From Elise Broach:
This play is based on the life of a real person, the tennis player Althea Gibson. It describes events that really happened or are closely based on things that happened to her. For instance, in 1999, Serena Williams really did send Althea a letter with a list of questions for a school project. And Althea did place a telephone call to the Williams sisters to say how impressed she was with the way they played; however, at the time, she spoke to Venus, not Serena. Some of Althea’s lines in the play are direct quotations, e.g. “Be who you are, and let your racquet do the talking.” When I’m writing historical fiction, my biggest decisions are which people and events to include, which to leave out, and how best to preserve the emotional truth of the story. I hope this play will make your students eager to learn more about the great Althea Gibson!
Close-Reading Questions
Critical-Thinking Questions
3. Skill Building and Writing
Featured Skill: Character
Differentiate and Customize
The changing time periods of the play can make it challenging to follow. To help striving readers, explain that the first and last scenes of the play take place in 1999, with Serena Williams as a teen, and the other scenes take place several decades earlier to tell the story of Althea Gibson’s life. Before reading each scene together, make sure to call students’ attention to which timeline and character the scene will be following.
In the first scene of the story, Serena Williams is writing a letter to Althea Gibson. First, explain to students that this actually happened! Then ask students to imagine they are Serena and write a letter to Althea. Ask students to include facts about Althea’s life that they learned from the play.
To better understand the play, multilingual students may benefit from having more information about U.S. civil rights history. Before reading the play, be sure to watch the video “Competing for Equality” together as a group and answer any questions about the historical context that students might have. After reading the play, reflect on the ways in which Althea helped make the world of tennis more equal.
Can't-Miss Teaching Extras
Introduce your students to other stories about inspiring figures in sports, such as “Nothing Can Stop Him” from our March/April 2023 issue, “Wrong Way, Roy!” from our February 2023 issue, “El Magnífico” from our December 2021/January 2022 issue, “Go!” from our September 2020 issue, and “The Fastest Woman in the World” from our May/June 2021 issue.
This article from History.com includes a 4-minute video where you’ll see Althea on the court and hear more about her life and legacy. (Note: Video starts after a brief ad.)
Get inspired by this video from Sporting News celebrating Black female athletes. It features champions in tennis, swimming, basketball, gymnastics, and more. (Note: Video starts after a brief ad.)
Both Althea and Serena worked tirelessly and believed in their abilities to be great athletes. This short motivational video from Rocket Kids encourages us to not hold back when striving to reach our goals. (Note: Video starts after a brief ad.)
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