The Peters Sisters: The Forgotten Tennis Legends Who Paved the Way
There are a lot of women who’ve made tremendous strides in history and are continually paving the way to make our society better. Although women’s month salutes women of all backgrounds, here at The Narrative Matters, we want to ensure that we highlight and report on Black women and women of color who may not get recognition in mainstream media. Therefore, it’s our pleasure to highlight Margaret and Matilda Peters.
A Legacy Beyond Comparison
Countless articles discuss Venus and Serena Williams, the famous tennis sisters. Although a contrast exists between the Williams sisters and the Peters sisters, you cannot simply compare the women. The Peters sisters came up in an era of American apartheid that enforced segregation in the laws of that day. Cara Chards (May 12, 2022) reports that the Peters sisters were born in the Georgetown district of Washington D.C. in 1915 and 1917, respectively. Margaret and Matilda Peters were legendary women tennis players who took the world by storm at a very early age.
Early Success and “Pete and Repeat”
Their fame spanned from the 1930s to the 1950s. They possessed a deep passion for tennis and unique talents. Margaret and Matilda also dedicated themselves as students. While in high school, a tennis coach from the Tuskegee Institute discovered them. Coach Cleve Abbott decided to offer the Peters sisters a four-year scholarship for college to impulse their tennis careers. This opportunity was rare for women athletes at the time.
Both Margaret and Matilda decided to wait so they could go to college simultaneously to experience their budding tennis careers together. Literature states that people nicknamed the two sisters “Pete” and “Repeat” for their doubles playing skills and last name. The Peters Sisters attended Tuskegee University in 1937. Segregation laws did not allow African Americans to compete against Whites, so the Peters sisters played in the American Tennis Association (ATA), which organizers created to give Black Americans a forum to play tennis competitively.
Collegiate Achievements and Style
Fitzgerald (July 8, 2018) reports that in college, “both sisters played basketball and tennis, but they were best known for their doubles play in tennis and were exceptionally good at moves such as ‘slice serve’ and ‘chop shots,’ and had powerful backhands.” While in college, they played in the American Tennis Association (ATA) tournaments. The ATA is a Black American tennis league that still exists today. They both graduated from Tuskegee in 1941 with degrees in physical education.
Dominating the ATA and Life After Tennis
After graduating from Tuskegee University, they both continued to play tennis in the American Tennis Association. The sisters won 14 Doubles Tennis titles between 1938 and 1953. Officials never allowed them to compete against that era’s great White Doubles Players. By the 1960s and beyond, when segregation in tennis started to dismantle, the Peters sisters had passed their prime.
They never competed in racially integrated matches. Nevertheless, the Tuskegee Hall of Fame inducted Margaret and Matilda Peters in 1977. They also earned their master’s degrees in physical education from NYU after graduating from Tuskegee. Matilda married James Walker in 1957, and they had two children. Matilda taught at Howard University in the 1950s and then at the Washington Public School System from 1964 to 1981. The Narrative Matters!
References:
Cara Chards, M. (May 12, 2022). Margaret and Matilda Peters: the black sisters that dominated tennis in segregation times. https://culturacolectiva.com/history/margaret-and-matilda-peters-black-tennis-players-history/
Fitzgerald, N. (July 8, 2018). https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/peters-margaret-1915-2004-and-matilda-1917-2003/
Photo Credit: Breaking Barriers – International Tennis Hall of Fame (tennisfame.com)
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