As part of the US Open’s celebration of 50 years of equal prize money for men and women, USOpen.org is featuring a series of essays from successful women in a variety of fields, each offering personal perspectives on the importance of equality as well as individual insights into the challenges they’ve overcome in their respective career journeys. In this installment, Gayle King, the award-winning journalist and host of "CBS Mornings," celebrates the inspirational career of Billie Jean King, and shares the importance of carrying forward the ideals and principles espoused by the iconic champion.
My father taught me to play tennis when I was a kid, and though I’ll never be mistaken for Serena Williams, the good news is I can still hit the ball over the net when I venture onto the court. But the thing about my dad’s particular brand of coaching was that he always managed to work a few life lessons into the mix. He talked about recognizing your strengths and moving beyond your limitations. He talked about strategy and focus. He talked about giving it everything you’ve got and about what it really means to be a champion. He talked about Billie Jean King.
I was a sophomore in college when Billie Jean went toe-to-toe with Bobby Riggs in what became known as “The Battle of the Sexes,” and it’s almost impossible to explain what a big deal that match was for just about everyone I knew. You see, in those days, whenever a woman would try to stand up, we’d inevitably hit our heads on some kind of barrier. It was invisible to the eye but make no mistake, it was there, and it was keeping us down. True, we’d seen Shirley Chisholm elected to the House, and Gloria Steinem co-found the National Women’s Political Caucus, and Barbara Walters finally allowed to participate in important interviews—that is, provided she understood that her male counterpart would be asking the first question. But we’d never in our lives seen anything quite like what happened on September 20th, 1973. That was the day Billie Jean King took one last look at that glass ceiling we all kept bumping up against, grabbed her racquet, and smashed right through it in three straight sets, as ninety million women across the planet watched and cheered.
We cheered because she was powerful, and she was unapologetic, and she was playing the game on her own terms. We cheered because she fought hard, and she won at a moment in history when we needed to fight hard—and Lord knows we needed a win.
I’ve never forgotten that moment, nor have I forgotten what it meant to me as a young woman looking to make my own mark in this world. I was 18 years old in 1973, completely unsure of what I wanted to be, but that moment—that very special moment—helped me to believe that I could be anything I wanted to be.
As a woman—and particularly as a Black woman—I’ve always felt it was important to set the bar high for myself. I’ve always been interested in setting a standard that would exceed the expectations of others. - Gayle King
I am the oldest—and probably the loudest—of four girls. I guess I’ve always loved to talk. I can recall my elementary school teachers bringing up that fact often with my parents. “Gayle is a bright child, but she tends to talk a lot,” they’d say. Who knew then that my job would one day be all about talking?
I guess what was annoying then became a skill set.
My parents always encouraged us girls; always stressed working hard, getting good grades, and being good humans. All of those things—particularly the first and the last—have been integral ingredients in making me who I am. I’ve never been afraid to work hard—at any stage of my life or career—because I truly believe that hard work pays off in so many ways. As a woman—and particularly as a Black woman—I’ve always felt it was important to set the bar high for myself. I’ve always been interested in setting a standard that would exceed the expectations of others. I recall interviewing Rev. Jesse Jackson as a young reporter and having him say to me, “Be excellent, because excellence is the best deterrent to racism.”
I have never forgotten that, and those words have long been my mantra, helping me always to go above and beyond the call of duty in any and every endeavor.
In addition to introducing me to tennis, my father also introduced me to the news, as each evening he made us watch the "CBS Evening News" with Walter Cronkite. I admit I thought it was boring at the time, but my father felt strongly that all of his girls should be aware of what was going on in the world. Cronkite, long recognized as “the most trusted man in America” was the man who delivered those goings-on into the King household.
I didn’t really get bitten by the news bug until I was in college, but when it bit me, it bit me good. When I was a junior at the University of Maryland, I got a job as a production assistant at the local CBS station. The job was about as entry level as entry level gets, but I did everything with a full tank of enthusiasm. I did what I was asked, and then I asked what else I could do. I was more than happy to pay my dues, because paying your dues is something I believe in wholeheartedly.
I found out you can learn a lot just by listening. I’ve always loved doing both—and I’ve never stopped. The only way to keep growing is to keep learning. And the only way to learn is to listen. You’ve got two ears and one mouth for a reason; I believe that. I am curious by nature, and genuinely interested in what makes people tick, which is one of the many reasons that I love my job as much as I do.
People notice that. When you show a genuine interest, people notice it and appreciate it. You’ll find that it’s an approach that will help you to gain allies, and allies are so critically important in whatever you do. I’ve heard Billie Jean King say that everyone stands on someone else’s shoulders, and I’ve been fortunate throughout my career to have had many sets of strong shoulders to help lift me up.
Like anyone else in this—or any—business, I’ve had my share of setbacks and challenges, but it’s how you deal with those challenges that will define you in the long run. I recall when I was first trying to find my feet in this business applying for a reporter’s training program at the station in DC where I’d started out; a place where people knew me and liked me and recognized how hard I worked. I didn’t get chosen. When I went into the News Director’s office to ask why, given the fact that I’d worked so hard and done such good work, I wasn’t picked, he replied, “Yes, you’ve done good work. We just chose other people. Life ain’t fair. Anything else?”
Life ain’t fair. That’s a universal truth. So you just need to find a way to deal with it. That’s where self-belief comes in particularly handy. Believe in your own self-worth. Engage and always fight for what you believe to be right.
Billie always did that, which is why she was—and remains—such an inspiration to us all. She has always been a fighter, and always loved the fight. I’m not one to throw the word “legend” around—but how else would you describe someone who has devoted herself to improving the lot of others, someone who has the guts to confront injustice, someone who has given hope to so many, simply by giving us her authentic self?! While we don’t hang out on a regular basis, I consider her a friend, because Billie Jean King has been a friend to every woman who’s ever needed one.
The truth is that every trek toward a milestone of any note begins with a journey of self-discovery. That’s always got to be the starting point. Many—very many—never get beyond it, because it can be a scary journey, chock full of detours and roadblocks. There are no directions, no maps that will lead you successfully to the finish line. In fact, there is no finish line. You have to be able to take the good with the bad—seldom in equal doses—without ever losing sight of your goals. If it sounds hard, it’s only because it is. But as difficult as it is, the journey in itself is equally important—and rewarding. Life is a journey of self-discovery. And when you can at last filter out all the noise and discover your authentic self, you can do anything. And I do mean anything.
I’m flattered when young women come up to me and say, “Gayle, I want to be just like you.” But I will always tell them, “No you don’t. You want to be better than me. I’ve got me covered. You want to be the best you that you can be. Nobody can do that but you.”
Billie Jean King was never the kind to settle for being the No. 1-ranked ranked player in the world. She wanted to inspire, to enlighten, to be a model for living in your truth. And that’s exactly what she’s done. That must be what we all aspire to do.
I’m lucky. I get up every morning at 3:24 a.m. (that’s not the lucky part) and go to a job at "CBS Mornings" that I love with all my heart. There, I have a front-row seat to history, and the very special privilege and responsibility of presenting what’s going on in the world to millions of households—just as Walter Cronkite did for me in my youth. I get to talk to a wide array of fascinating personalities who join us to tell their personal stories of joy and happiness and grief and heartbreak. I take a genuine interest in all of them. I still learn from all of them. We dedicate ourselves to getting the facts straight so that our audience can be well informed and able to make informed decisions. We take that seriously.
Life ain’t fair. That’s a universal truth. So you just need to find a way to deal with it. That’s where self-belief comes in particularly handy. Believe in your own self-worth. Engage and always fight for what you believe to be right. - Gayle King
I have a remarkable platform, and like Billie, I do my best to use my platform to try to make this world just a little bit better. If I can do even a small percentage of what Billie has done to make women realize that their dreams can indeed be within their collective reach, then I’ve done well.
I’m good with advice, and I’m very good at giving unsolicited advice. Just ask my son and daughter. But I’m not very comfortable talking about myself; I’d much rather lead by example. Anyway, that’s what I’ve always tried to do.
I am blessed to have called the late poet, author, and civil rights activist Maya Angelou my friend. Just talking to her was a life-enhancing experience; I always felt like I needed to be armed with a pad and a pen every time I did, because her advice was always priceless. She was such a huge influence on my life. She once told me that the definition of success was “liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.”
I think that’s a pretty darn good definition.
I do think that those of us who enjoy some degree of success do have a responsibility to lend a hand and help guide those still seeking it. I know that that is something that Billie has devoted her entire life and career to, which makes her a particularly worthy role model for the rest of us to emulate.
I recall being at a luncheon in California one time and listening to Nina Shaw, who is a prominent entertainment attorney in Los Angeles speak. She said, “If you want to be a woman in power, then empower other women.”
Those words have long stuck with me and inspired me. Not unlike the memories of a very special tennis match—won by a very special champion—in the early fall of 1973.
