Founders honor the past, present and future of black tennis
It's important that this history be preserved and magnified so that it is not lost.
Sharon Ingram, GrandSlamma Co-Founder
For decades, Black tennis players faced long odds just to be invited to the court. Black players have had to create their own opportunities and environments to uplift themselves and their communities. Ultimately, sparking the start of the Black tennis network. For so long their stories have gone untold…until now. This month, Jeri and Sharon Ingram – two sisters entrenched in their own black tennis legacy – launched GrandSlamma a product line created to highlight the Black experience in the tennis world, celebrate Black talent and amplify their voices.
Despite tennis’ image of being a country club sport only accessible to whites and those with means, black people have a rich and storied history in the sport. From the first black tennis tournaments organized in the late 1890’s by Rev. W.W. Walker, to the first major tournament wins of black tennis pioneers Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe to the dominance of Venus and Serena Williams, black people continue to break barriers and move the sport of tennis to higher heights.
“It’s important that this history be preserved and magnified so that it is not lost,” said co-founder Sharon Ingram. “We are making a concerted effort to work with a variety of partners to ensure that these stories are told through our website and other venues.”
“Like Chuck D said, ‘most of my heroes don’t appear on no stamp,’” said co-founder Jeri Ingram. “As someone with a profound love and passion for tennis it was important to me to provide a platform where everyone – particularly black people – could not only learn about our history in tennis but also see these amazing black athletes represented on apparel.”
GrandSlamma launched during the U.S. Open and plan to continue their campaign through tennis tournament season highlighting the accomplishments of current Black tennis players with an ongoing effort to educate followers on African Americans’ deep history within the sport. GrandSlamma apparel can be purchased through their online store at www.GrandSlamma.com. Follow them on Instagram @GrandSlamma and hashtags #GrandSlamma and #TennisForEquality.
About the GrandSlamma Founders
Jeri Ingram attended public schools in Montgomery County, MD where her tennis career began. With a record of 116 - 0 Jeri became the first undefeated tennis athlete in high school history during her four years of attendance at Springbrook High School (1984-1988). In addition to holding this long-standing record Jeri holds a number of tennis titles and major accomplishments including 3 United States Tennis Association (USTA) national titles at 16 and later Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Most Valuable Player and all ACC player. Jeri played on the Women Tennis Association (WTA) Professional Tour beginning in 1989 for eight years. Jeri holds 4 International Tennis Federation (ITF) titles and went on to compete in the US Open for 8 consecutive years, as well as the Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon. Jeri Ingram currently serves as the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Metropolitan Tennis & Education Group (MTEG). Awards include - 2015 USTA Tennis Organization of the Year Award and 2015 Tennis Industry Magazine Parks & Recreation Program of the Year. She holds an undergraduate degree in Business Administration from American University.
Sharon Ingram has worked for over 20 years with innovative companies and executives in the creative, entertainment, technology and government space including Hidden Beach Recordings, Penguin Putnam Publishing, The Society of Singers, The Clio Awards, IR+Media and Ense. Currently Sharon is the Membership and Project Manager of the D.C. Chapter of the Recording Academy and serves on the board of the Metropolitan Tennis & Education Group. Her dedication to her work and to maintain the integrity, vision and mission of each brand she has worked with has made her a trusted resource and a consistent partner. She holds an undergraduate degree in journalism from Howard University and an advanced degree in management from Brandeis University.
