theGrio Reflects: Arthur Ashe talks about blacks in tennis

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As sisters Venus and Serena Williams battle each other yet again for another grand-slam title at Wimbledon, we look back at black tennis icon Arthur Ashe.

An avid civil rights supporter and AIDS activist, Ashe was born on July 10, 1943. He remains the only African American player to win the men’s singles at Wimbledon, the US Open and Australian Open.

In 1979, Ashe sat down with Tom Brokaw and explained why there were few blacks playing competitvely, and how more blacks will have the opportunity to play professional tennis in the future.

Archival video provided by NBC Learn, the education arm of NBC News. For more historic video and classroom resources for teachers and students, visit nbclearn.com.