PURE JOY

A 15-year-old black school girl named Coco Gauff and her 18-year-old white American counterpart Caty Mc Nally defeated their older opponents 23-year-old Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic and her 30 year-old professional partner Julia Gorges of Germany 7-6, 6-2 at Friday’s encounter at the US Open doubles.

Coco and Caty not only displayed maturity and wit in terms of their court strategy, but also electrified the world of observers with uninhibited joy that flowed from two teenagers without the mascara of racism and the dark hood of disunity that has led to unnecessary mass shootings and terror all over the world. They crowned their success with a chest bump made popular by the legendary Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls and Allen Iverson of the Philadelphia 76ers. Of course, the Coco-Caty bump was modified for obvious reasons to avoid any casualties.

As I watched the joy that erupted for them from fans at the packed arena on Court 5 at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, I could not help but remember the legendary speech by famous civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr “I Have a Dream”. In that speech delivered at the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963, Dr. King impacted the conscience of America with the following three statements that ought to cause America and the world to think again about justice and life:

1. “Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice.”

2. “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character.”

3. “Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.”

4. “I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave-owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood.”

Let the Coco-Caty example of pure joy speak to your heart. And for cricket lovers, let the pure joy of the 24-year-old black Barbadian fast bowler Jofra Archer and the white 28-year-old English batsman teach us something about humanity and the love of Almighty God.