In February 1999, four New York Police Department plainclothes officers in the Bronx fired 41 shots at 22-year-old Amadou Diallo, who was only armed with his wallet and a beeper. He was struck 19 times. Two of the officers didn't stop firing their weapons until their 16-bullet cartridges were empty. It was a painful reminder of how little some things have changed.
Seven months later in Queens, Serena Williams won the U.S. Open, becoming the first African-American woman to win a major tennis title since Althea Gibson in 1958. It was a beautiful reminder of just how much things have changed.
For over 20 years now, sisters Venus and Serena Williams have been a crucial wrinkle in the fabric of the black national dialogue.