3 lessons from Venus Williams' 'Difference's what makes the world beautiful' shoot

Family

A composed Venus could be seen in a video clip of the tearful tribute Serena made to her big sister's influence in her life.

“I wouldn’t be Serena if there wasn’t Venus, so thank you, Venus. She’s the only reason Serena Williams ever existed,” Serena declared in her final US Open interview on September 2.

At a time when Serena could have focused on her prized career and achievements, she chose to honour her sister, and there are many reasons why the rest of us should follow her lead.

I wouldn’t be Serena if there wasn’t Venus, so thank you, Venus Pulse

However, this sisterly bond and sportsmanship has not come at any cost, in fact, it has come from deep roots of empowered individuality.

Individuality

Commenting on the outfits for her photoshoot, Williams is grateful for having her individuality recognised in eye-catching outfits from Off-White, Lacoste, Valentino and Louis Vuitton. Despite these fashion houses being beacons for the global community, according to Williams, it is vital that each person preserves their individuality as much as possible.

“These looks are so me. Very sporty, but kind of avant-garde, just very individual. And I really, really believe in individuality, especially in this world of ‘group think’ right now, we still have to remember we’re individuals,” she said in the interview on October 6 2022.

In terms of representation, Venus Williams' impact has gone beyond her professional career to inspiring young girls of all races and being a powerful symbol for many African-American girls to embrace their talents.

And I really, really believe in individuality Pulse

But it wasn't always that way, and sometimes such impact can only be seen in retrospect, that it was always there.

“At the time, I didn’t know that I was different and now I realise how very different I was. But difference is what makes the world beautiful. I think people really can see that now, in terms of what Serena and I have accomplished in the sport, and how it’s elevated tennis, sport or even the world. So different is the only way to go," she said.

Tolerance

However, with embracing individuality comes the responsibility of integrating that difference in the group. Her career might have blown away the world, but the mother of one is still teaching people about her choice in hairstyle, since the now-iconic beaded braids.

“People didn’t necessarily know my culture. So, when people saw we were wearing braids and beads, they may have thought it was unique. But people from my own culture would’ve realised, ‘Oh, wow, this is something that young girls do.’ So, I feel like I’m still educating people about my culture, one at a time; like, this is normal to African-Americans, or people of African descent or with ethnic hair. We often do wear braids and beads, which have very deep meanings from their origins. It’s important for people to know about the cultures of the world,” she noted.

She has also had to embrace change in her career, well, coming out on top of each game and an eyeliner look that gave the whole experience a fierce power.

"My favourite on-court beauty look, definitely for years, I wore a bunch of eyeliner. Now I’ve moved on to lashes, but I figured it was my suit when I walked on the court and called it the eyeliner club. Serena and I seemed to be the only ones in it, but we were in it to win it. It’s really fun when you walk out knowing you look great, you feel great," she said.

It’s really fun when you walk out knowing you look great, you feel great Pulse

In the age where it is mainstream to talk about "breaking generational trauma" it is important to establish grounds for personal responsibility in changing the world, living in it and leaving it.

“For us, it was always important to know where you are, who you are, because if you don’t know who you are, you won’t know where you’re going. But most of all, if you don’t know who you are in your history, you’ll have no idea what you need to do to be ready for the world. So, that was so important and my parents definitely pushed history on us; to know the history of the world and history of African-Americans was super important," she revealed.

It was also important to not participate in the issues that would have frustrated her, and her sister's careers. They focused on the sport and were encouraged by their parents to see the world through their actions and not oppressive attitudes like race.