Before Arthur Ashe Was a Stadium, He Was a Problem for Apartheid

The author, TaNeesha Johnson, in front of the colourful 2026 US Open mural by Eugenia Mello at Flushing Meadows.

Every late August in New York, Arthur Ashe becomes a place. More than 23,000 people fill the stadium carrying his name. Players walk through its tunnels, and commentators use the name as geography: Night session at Ashe. Meet me outside Ashe. Fifty-three years ago, another country was trying to keep Arthur Ashe out. South Africa […]