Arts & Entertainment
Billie Jean King to receive Smithsonian’s ‘Great Americans’ Medal
The tennis legend will be recognized for her decades-long career
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Billie Jean King (Photo via Wikimedia Commons)
Tennis legend Billie Jean King will be honored with the Smithsonian’s “Great Americans” medal at the National Museum of American History (Constitution Avenue N.W. between 12th and 14th Streets) on Tuesday, Sept. 25 at 7:30 p.m.
King, who hails from Long Beach, Calif., will receive the medal“ for lifetime contributions that embody American ideals and ideas.”
She will be interviewed on stage by David M. Rubenstein, chair of the Smithsonian Board of Regents, before being presented with the medal.
In 1973, at the age of 29, King defeated then 55-year-old Bobby Riggs during the historic “Battle of the Sexes” match. The dress she wore at the match is part of the Smithsonian’s collection and is on display at the Bullock Museum in Austin, Texas.
King’s other achievements include winning 39 Grand Slam titles, receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009 and being named one of the “100 Most Important Americans of the 20th Century” by Life magazine.
She is the founder of the Women’s Tennis Association and the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative, a non-profit aimed at making leadership more inclusive, and is co-founder of TeamTennis, a mixed-gender professional tennis league.
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The 2024 New York City Pride Parade wound through the streets of Manhattan and past the historic Stonewall Inn on Sunday, June 30.
(Washington Blade photos by Daniel Truitt)
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The fourth annual Fredericksburg Pride march and festival was held at Riverfront Park in Fredericksburg, Va. on Saturday, June 29. The event began with a march around downtown Fredericksburg beginning and ending in the park.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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Covering Fredericksburg Pride for @WashBlade . City Council member @WillMackintosh speaking: pic.twitter.com/tDdVD2IVsM
— Michael Patrick Key (@MichaelKeyWB) June 29, 2024
Photos
PHOTOS: Goodwin Living Pride
Senior living and healthcare organization holds fourth annual march at Falls Church campus
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The senior living and healthcare organization Goodwin Living held its fourth annual community Pride march around its Bailey’s Crossroads campus in Falls Church, Va. with residents, friends and supporters on Tuesday, June 25. Following the march, a drag brunch was held with performances by drag artists of SADBrunch: Crimsyn, Sapphire Dupree and Evon Dior Michelle.
(Photos courtesy of Goodwin Living)
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