The Black Tennis Mentors reveal how history can help enact meaningful change for the black community and beyond
• 3 MINUTE READ
The theme of Black History Month 2024 is to reclaim the narratives, zeroing in on the black community’s rich history and culture as well as correcting any existing historical inaccuracies. Whilst acknowledging the past, the Black Tennis Mentors (BTM) UK are also securing the future through spotlighting black tennis leaders to guide and inspire future generations of young tennis enthusiasts.
The turn of the millennium marked a new era in tennis thanks to the ascent of the Williams sisters. Not only did Venus and Serena transform the women’s game, but they also left a legacy, paving the way for young black athletes worldwide. Their rise to prominence made a cosmic impact on a sport whose audiences were once branded as exclusively middle-class white people.
As significant as their influence on the game was and continues to be, the BTM UK co-founders Arum Akom and Jabilayh (Bee) Asante recognised the need for continual representation and support for the black community in tennis from their own lived experiences, building on the momentum generated by the sisters’ stardom.
As a result, Arum, from South East London, applied and dedicated his Bachelor of Arts in Sports Coaching and subsequent Masters degree in Sports Management to creating change through various projects centred around developing a more diverse system of players, coaches, officials and staff in the wider tennis workforce. Meanwhile, Bee has re-entered the tennis sphere as a mentor and resource, leveraging her past experiences as an Allegheny College collegiate tennis player to assist in the development of future leaders.
“I resonate with the people,” said Arum, speaking about his motivations behind launching the BTM UK. “When I first started playing tennis in Camberwell at Burgess Park Tennis Centre, I was fortunate enough to receive free tennis sessions from the club because my parents couldn’t really afford many, and that’s what kicked off my tennis journey.
“The support and guidance of the people around me are the reason I am here doing what I do today, and now I can do the same for the children, young people and adults whom I work with. I was once in their position and so I want to be able to provide as much support as possible to anyone and everyone who needs it.”
Beyond the mentorship programmes, workshops and seminars they make available, BTM UK also actively engage with local tennis clubs, schools and community organisations to provide further opportunities for young black athletes.
Their unique strategy is divided into four different ‘phases’, and among them are a series of events that take place each year over the course of Black History Month. This annual window provides mentors, mentees and all involved the opportunity to reconnect.
This year, in recognition of the overarching theme ‘reclaiming narratives’, BTM UK has announced plans for an exclusive Black History Month exhibition to take place on Saturday 19 October at the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre.
“We run these four events during Black History Month as we know it’s a great time for the black community to come together, celebrate each other and showcase all the work achieved across the year.
“The Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre has beautiful indoor tennis courts, so we can run tennis clinics and competitions. There will be prizes for kids, games, food and drinks and we’ll have all the different levels of the game on show including mini tennis for kids, beginner and intermediate sessions, as well as high performance sessions. There will also be guest speakers at the end of the event to talk more about the Black Tennis Mentors and our goals moving forward next year.”
For Arum, Bee, and much of the black community, October’s celebrations run much deeper than an opportune moment to unite and honour the past. For many, the annual commemoration allows everyone – from the black community and beyond – to be their authentic selves.
Bee spoke of the great personal significance and deep-rooted meaning of Black History Month: “For me, Black History Month is about defining who you are in this western world, telling your story, expressing your heritage and being proud of where you’ve come from, and that’s not exclusive to the black community. It’s for everyone.”
“I believe we need to learn about the past to understand how to move forward in the future,” Arum continued. “We need to understand where we’ve come from and the impact our ancestors had in bringing about change. That way, we can continue to make a difference and enact meaningful change both on the court, and more widely across the black community.”
The BTM UK platform may be in its early stages of development, but the team has already received a number of accolades recognising their transformative work. Earlier this month, Arum, Bee and the team were awarded the LTA Tennis Foundation Community Tennis Award as part of this year’s Sporting Equal Awards.
The award, sponsored by the LTA Tennis Foundation, recognises organisations or programmes that have demonstrated excellence in bringing tennis to ethnically diverse communities in the past 12 months. The organisation must be able to demonstrate how they have achieved positive social impact and how their organisation or programme is improving lives through tennis.
“I was completely taken by surprise," said Arum. "Don’t get me wrong, we’ve done a great job and we’ve already made an impact, but we haven’t yet achieved the end goal. So, to already receive recognition when we’re just starting out is unbelievable. Once we kick-start the work we’re soon hoping to get underway, then people will really understand our strategy and overarching vision.”
Continuing Arum’s sentiment, Bee added: “We’ve just scratched the surface. A lot of people see us actively on court and think we’re tennis coaches, and yes, that plays a part in what we’ve become. However, we want people to know that our reach goes beyond coaching. Tennis isn’t just about what happens on court. It’s all encompassing from the commentators and the media to those whose role it is to paint the lines on court at Wimbledon each year. We want to help and support people in every aspect of their tennis journey.”
