How Derek Jeter and Serena Williams Battled Early Racism on the Road to Their Legendary Careers

Back in 2020, the world had become orderless with the pandemic era taking over. But then, on May 25, George Floyd’s death turned the country upside down, sparking widespread outrage. Among the athletes fighting against the intense racism plaguing America was former New York Yankees captain Derek Jeter. The Hall of Famer penned down his thoughts in an emotional, social media post, joining thousands in protest. After all, he understood the nuances of discrimination because of being biracial.

Serena Williams is also among the many athletes who have faced unfair treatment just because of how they look. Criticized and judged more harshly than her peers, Williams shared this connection, awful as it is, with Jeter. While both are beloved athletes in their respective sports, their journeys to stardom weren’t all that easy.

Derek Jeter and His Unconventional Childhood

When Jeter’s parents married, society was still somewhat new to interracial marriages. While Dorothy was White, Sanderson was Black, and people took it personally.

In his documentary, The Captain, Jeter delves deep into his baseball career and how his meteoric rise to fame came to be. Describing an incident from his Triple-A days, Jeter says in episode 1 how a stranger casually hurled the n-word at him in public.

All the former slugger was doing was trying to enjoy his time with a friend, exiting a local Taco Bell in Michigan. “I remember being so hurt by that. I’m so proud I’m back in Kalamazoo, right, finally made it, got drafted. And you’re like, man, you know, this is a reality check.”

Indeed, this is the reality of the world. Just like Jeter, Serena Williams faced the same treatment. And not just from fans but from her fellow sports persons, who mocked her without precedent. There was no way to survive it other than by developing thick skin.

While sportscasters have lost their jobs because of offensive comments, not nearly enough is done to stop the tide of racism that occasionally seems to envelop the country. Jeter’s parents even prepared him for the worst right from when he was a kid.

Sanderson Jeter Warned His Kids About What the World Would Be Like

Parents usually teach their kids about the world’s evils and how it works. But some families have to add an extra lesson – be careful because people might discriminate against you just because of your skin color. 

“Since I was very young, I’d have so many people staring at me. My parents did a great job of sitting us down and saying, ‘Look, you’re gonna get looks, people are going to treat you different, you’re gonna deal with racism, you’re gonna deal with prejudice. You learn how to deal with it,” says Derek Jeter.

READ MORE – “Number of Black People in MLB Continue to Dwindle” – Derek Jeter, Who Faced Racism in His Early Days, Gets Candid

Unfortunately, this problem persists. And as Jeter recently noted, the number of Black players in Major League Baseball is sadly dwindling. The only silver lining is that the situation has improved in recent decades, however minutely. While progress is still years away, people still fight for their rights.

WATCH THIS STORY: New York Yankees Legend Derek Jeter Scripted The Perfect End To His Career With This Iconic Walk-off Single