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The Undefeated In-Depth: Serena with Common
Grammy- and Oscar award-winning artist Common and tennis champion Serena Williams sit down to discuss fame, gender and race and yes, tennis
Oscar and Grammy winner Common and tennis supernova Serena Williams have often spoken to each other about how it feels to be at the highest points in their careers — and what these achievements mean while being black in America. On Dec. 18, they’ll let everyone in on the conversation for The Undefeated In-Depth: Serena with Common.
The show, which will air at 9 p.m. EST on ESPN, and WatchESPN, features Common as host as he and Williams speak intimately about fame, sports, race and gender.
This will be the first time that Common who last month released his 11th studio album, BLACK AMERICA AGAIN, on ARTium/Def Jam Recordings, to resounding acclaim. and whose socially conscious lyrics often focus on the daily life of and the struggles faced by people of color, and Serena Williams, the record-breaking tennis champion — both dominant in their respective fields — are sitting down to publicly discuss these topics together.
The conversation takes place at a comfortable cafe in Brooklyn, New York. “My mother took me and my godbrother shopping,” says Common. “On the way back, we stopped at this candy store … We walked in, we were getting chips and candy, and this little white kid was going, ‘B-l-a-c-k, b-l-a-c-k.’ ”
He shares more of the painful memory, and then poses a question to Williams.
“So was there a point,” he asks, “where you realized people look at you different because you’re black?” And she answers.
Follow the conversation on Twitter @TheUndefeated and on other social platforms using the hashtag #UndefeatedInDepth.