BillieJean King

She’s led a revolution in women’s sports

Billie Jean King (shown here) announced her intentions, 70-plus years ago.
At 7, she says, she told her mother she was going to do something great. At 10, she “told my mom, ‘Mommy, I want to be the No. 1tennis player in the world.” At 12, she “promised myself that I would fight for equality the rest of my life.”
And then, remarkably, she did all of that.
Some of the result is clear in PBS’ “Groundbreakers,” from 8-10 p.m. Tuesday (Nov. 21), the eve of her 80th birthday. The documentary partly looks at King’s story – “I’ve had an amazing life, because of being in sports,” she said in a virtual press conference – and mostly looks at changes in life. Read more…