Teenage tennis star Coco Gauff has said people “must change now” in an emotive speech at a Black Lives Matter rally in her home town of Delray, Florida.
The 16-year-old had already advised the sport’s biggest star, Roger Federer, on social media how he could lend his voice to the movement, following the death of George Floyd last week.
At a peaceful protest alongside her grandmother, Gauff said: “I think it’s sad I’m here protesting the same things she did 50-plus years ago.
"We must change now. I’m not of age to vote, but it’s in your hands to vote for my future. You need to use your voice, no matter how big or small your platform is.
“I saw a Dr [Martin Luther] King quote that said the silence of the good people is worse than the brutality of the bad people.
"So, you need to not be silent. If you are choosing silence, you’re choosing the silence of the oppressor.
“One of the things I heard is it’s not my problem.
"I have to tell you this, if you listen to black music, if you like black culture, and have black friends then this is your fight too. So, we must change now.”
