Collegeville’s Jackie Shaw joined nearly 700 players both young and old, at the centennial national championship of the American Tennis Association in Baltimore, writes Ben Rothenberg for The New York Times.

The association was formed in late 1916 by representatives of a dozen black tennis clubs. The name was chosen to be inclusive, as minorities were not allowed to participate in US Lawn Tennis Association run events at the time.

Shaw said that in those days, she was pretty much the only African-American participating United States Tennis Association tournaments.

“Although there’s integration, there’s still separation, and it’s definitely not equal distribution,” said Shaw.

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However, she added that coming to the A.T.A. tournament she found familiarity and comfort which made her feel at home. Shaw has also encouraged her daughter, Jasmine Morris, to compete in A.T.A. organized events.

“It’s very important to know your history,” she said, “to know where you came from, and to always know the struggles your ancestors experienced to get you here. You don’t want to forget that, and you don’t want your kids to forget it.”

Read more about the American Tennis Association at The New York Times by clicking here.

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