At NAACP Image Awards, Serena Williams Accepts The Jackie Robinson Sports Award

Congratulations to Serena Williams as the beauty just accepted the Jackie Robinson Sports Award at this year’s NAACP Image Awards.

The award recognizes individuals in sports for their achievements in athletics as well as for their work in social justice, civil rights, and community involvement. With her accepting this award, Williams joins the likes of  Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Magic Johnson, Wilma Rudolph and the Harlem Globetrotters, the latter of whom were previously honored with this achievement.

And with the superstar being called one of the greatest athletes of all time, she is more than deserving of the incredible honor, holding 23 Grand Slam singles titles and having won Wimbledon seven times as a singles competitor.

Serena Williams took to the stage at this evening’s ceremony donning a custom Brandon Blackwood silk velvet gown that featured a deep V neckline. She paired the look with a sheer silk corset to help accentuate the asymmetric waistline along with a high slit and the circular train for extra flair. The beauty was all smiles when she received the honor, holding it high above her head and thanking her family and loved ones for supporting her throughout her incredible career.

Check out a photo from the event as the starlet accepted the prestigious award.

The award comes on the heels of Williams and her older sister, Venus, announcing they are slated to executive produce a documentary about the unsung story behind the 1971 Women’s World Cup in an effort to help spread awareness about the need for gender equity in sports.

The film—dubbed COPA 71—delves into the backstory of one of the most pivotal moments in sports history. During the summer of 1971, women’s soccer teams from around the globe gathered at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City to compete. The banner event drew over 100,000 attendees. Denmark’s team triumphed over Mexico and took home the title.

Although the competition signified a chapter of progress in women’s sports, that tournament marked the last Women’s World Cup since the creation of FIFA in 1991, and it’s been an enshrouded element of sports history. The Williams sisters will bring this masked part of soccer’s past to light through COPA 71. The project—which they’re executive producing in collaboration with Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith’s Westbrook Studios imprint—will feature rare footage from the competition.

“’Copa 71’ tells the story of one of the most inspirational and significant moments in women’s sports history,” Serena told Variety. “It’s an honor to partner with my sisters and Westbrook Studios to help bring this magical story to light, which has been buried for far too long.” Venus added she’s excited to “help elevate and empower fellow female athletes and their accomplishments, and to make sure these women have their voices heard through this inspiring documentary.”

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