Racial Discrimination Alleged at U.S. Open

N E W  Y O R K, Aug. 27 -- As the National Tennis Center launched its yearlytennis spectacular at Flushing Meadows, four African-American men bearingplacards stood on a ramp leading to the site.

Their intended audience — thousands of fans streaming past tocelebrate Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day, complete with starmusic performers 98 Degrees and Jessica Simpson — paid only scant attention Saturday as they walked past.

Once inside, the fans watched qualifying matches forthe U.S. Open tournament — which gets under way in earnestMonday — and playful exhibitions between top-seededAndre Agassi and former champ John McEnroe, as well asa doubles match pitting Pete Sampras and MartinaHingis against Mark Philippoussis and ArantxaSanchez-Vicario.

Announcers such as movie star Alec Baldwin and model and VH-1personality Roshumba paid homage to the late Ashe, forwhom the center’s main stadium is named, and who,having won Wimbledon in 1975, is still the lastAfrican-American man to win a Grand Slam-leveltournament.

Outside, the protesters stood quietly: NormanWilkerson, a much-heralded teacher and coach from Atlanta;George Henderson, a teaching pro from North Miami; andWilliam Washington, an outspoken coach from DelrayBeach, Fla., whose son, Malivai was the most successfulAfrican-American man in tennis since Ashe; and his younger sonMashiska, also a tennis pro.

Mashiska, his father and the other demonstratorscarried signs in hand-painted letters, reading: “EqualOpportunity in Tennis for People of Color.”

Washington, whose daughter Mashono is also a tourprofessional, said blacks are excluded by tournamentpromoters who give wild card entries to majortournaments to less deserving whites.

Wild-Card Process

The wild-card process goes on largely unnoticedoutside the world of tennis. At the top level,tournament directors invite lower-ranked but promisingplayers to enter the main playing field, known as thedraw, of major tournaments.