‘Battle of the Sexes’ brings greater appreciation for Billie Jean King
Published to NPR on September 28, 2017
She is the most important and influential figure in the history of women’s sports. No one has fought harder or risked greater or meant more in women’s struggle for equality in and out of the sports arena.
She is wise and charismatic and a visionary, but she can be gruff and stubborn and even a little mean. And she has used all those qualities to help women break through a wall constructed and defended by men, especially during a time when women were still patted on the head for wanting to play sports just like the guys.
She’s Billie Jean King, and thank God for her.