At the age of 12, young Billie Jean King experienced gender discrimination when she wasn’t allowed in a group photo because she wore shorts instead of a skirt, which was typical for female tennis players at that time. This experience wasn’t the first obstacle she came across. In 1972, when she won the U.S. Open, she received $15,000 less prize money than the male champion. After this experience, she started to campaign for non-biased prize money. Bobby Riggs, the number 1 tennis player at that time, didn’t take Billie seriously. As a 55-year-old man, he challenged 29-year-old Billie to a match. Obviously, she accepted. This match, called the “Battle of the Sexes”, was widely promoted and watched by millions. On September 20th, 1973, millions watched Billie Jean King defeat Bobby Riggs, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3. With her status, she advocates for gender and social equality.
Photo of Billie Jean King, Jonathan Exley, King Enterprises, 15 October 2009
The Battle of the Sexes was watched by one very important man: Barack Obama. As a 12-year old, he watched Billie crush Riggs, and that stuck with him to his presidency. In 2009, President Obama awarded King the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her work in women’s and LGBTQ rights. In 2014, King founded the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative, a non-profit that worked to create diverse and inclusive leadership in the workforce.
Billie Jean King, Lynn Gilbert, 14 August 2009. Tennis dress worn at Wimbledon, NY Historical Society, 1982.