Rather than spend time exploring the political discrimination and the asinine statements made today by almost-ex-US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, I thought it appropriate to instead spend some time on something and someone Americans should be proud of. The US Tennis Association honored Althea Gibson today, at their opening ceremony of the US Open. 50 years ago, she was the first African American woman to win the US Open (then called the US Nationals). She broke into tennis only three years after Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier, and she won, and won, and won – 17 championship titles in all.

Althea’s story is inspiring, and her influence on the sport undeniable. But her story, indeed our country’s story, does not begin and end with her court statistics. (more…)