Sixteen-year-old American tennis player Coco Gauff said in a widely shared speech that it was ‘sad’ she was protesting against the ‘same thing’ her grandmother had done ‘50-plus years ago’.
Gauff was speaking at a Black Lives Matter protest in Florida, following the death of George Floyd at the hands of police.
According to a BBC report, she urged people to vote and speak out against racism, adding: ‘If you are choosing silence, you are choosing the side of the oppressor.’
She said: ‘We must first love each other, no matter what.
‘I have spent all week having tough conversations and trying to educate my non-black friends about how they can help the movement.
‘I am not of the age to vote – it is in your hands to vote for my future, my brothers’ future and for your future so that is one way to make change.
She urged Americans to ‘use your voice no matter how big or small your platform is’, adding: ‘I saw a Dr [Martin Luther] King quote that said the silence of the good people is worse than the brutality of the bad people.’
She added: ‘It breaks my heart because I’m fighting for the future for my brothers. I’m fighting for the future of my future kids. I’m fighting for the future of my future grandchildren.’
The report noted that Gauff rose to fame last year when, at 15, she beat five-time champion Venus Williams at Wimbledon in a run to the fourth round.
[Picture: Carine06, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=80448675]