Story highlights Serena Williams derides gender pay gapTennis star insists inequality 'hits women of color hardest'Calls on black women to 'be fearless' and 'speak out'(CNN) American tennis star Serena Williams has slammed the gender pay gap, issuing a passionate call for black women to "be fearless" and demand equality. In a personal essay, published by Fortune Magazine , the 23-time grand slam champion writes that for every dollar a man earns, black women make just 63 cents. July 31 is Black Women's Equal Pay Day. Black women are the cornerstone of our communities, they are phenomenal, and they deserve equal pay. pic.twitter.com/XOHyIdbYPc — Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) July 31, 2017Though Williams was recently named the world's highest-paid female athlete by Forbes -- with annual earnings exceeding $25 million -- the American is only 51st on the overall list, and far behind ATP Tour contemporaries Roger Federer, Novak Djkovic, Kei Nishikori, Rafa Nadal and Andy Murray.

Source: CNN August 01, 2017 11:15 UTC