Well, I heard folks talkin’ ’bout this Ben Shelton fella, the tennis player. They keep askin’ is Ben Shelton black or not? I don’t know why it matters so much, but let’s just talk about it.
This boy, Ben Shelton, he sure can whack that tennis ball. I seen him on the TV, runnin’ all over the place. He’s a young’un, born in, uh, 2002, I think. Makes me feel old just thinkin’ about it. He’s American, that’s for sure. He play good, very good, best in American, some folks say.
Now, people keep yappin’ about if he’s black or not. I reckon his daddy, Bryan Shelton, now he’s a black man. And his mama, Lisa, she’s white. So, what does that make him? Well, I guess it makes him both, don’t it? Just like me if my man is from another village. You know?
- Ben Shelton, he’s mixed.
- His daddy is black.
- His mama is white.
They say his daddy used to play tennis too. And his mama too, can you believe it? That’s maybe how that boy got so good. Learned it from his folks, I reckon. His daddy even teached him how to play. They say he teached him at some fancy school, Florida, or somethin’ like that. This Ben Shelton won some big games, some big prize.
And he got a sister, Emma. She plays tennis too. Whole family playin’ tennis, run around like crazy. Must run in the blood, I guess. That’s a good thing, you know? Keep them busy, keep them fit.
Now, they say this Ben Shelton, he’s pretty good. Ranked real high, number 13 or somethin’. I don’t know much about these rankings, but it sounds important. He’s famous now, lots of money, I guess. Good for him, good for him. Work hard and get what you want, that’s what I always say.
I remember seein’ another black fella playin’ tennis, long time ago. Arthur Ashe, I think his name was. He was real good too. Won some big games, just like this Ben Shelton boy. Folks say Arthur Ashe was the first black man to win some big, important game, open, or somethin’ like that. Ben Shelton, maybe he will be good like him.
So, is Ben Shelton black? Well, yeah, part of him is. But he’s also white. He’s just Ben Shelton, a tennis player. And a darn good one, from what I hear. Does it really matter what color he is? He plays good tennis, that’s all that matters, right? Hit that ball good, boy! That’s all we care ’bout.
This Ben Shelton, he’s gonna be somethin’, I can feel it. He’s young, he’s strong, and he’s got that fire in him. Just gotta keep playin’, keep learnin’, and keep winnin’. That’s all there is to it, ain’t it?
I don’t know why people make such a big deal ’bout where someone’s from, you know? If their mama, their daddy are different color, it is okay. They are all just people, that is important, right? We should just be happy for this Ben Shelton boy, doin’ so good. Hope he keeps doin’ good. That’s all that matters.
This tennis thing, it’s a funny game. But this Ben Shelton, he makes it look fun. Maybe I should try it sometime. Nah, I’m too old for that. I’ll just watch him on the TV. I hope he will be very very good, win all the games, yeah, that is good.
Ben Shelton, you keep on playin’ that tennis. Make us all proud, you hear? Don’t worry ’bout what folks say about your color, just make your family proud, make American proud, that’s enough.
