King Richard: The Unsung Hero
King Richard (2021), image provided by BuzzFeed
“They work as hard as they need to to stay off these streets. I’m in the champion raising business.”
- Richard Williams, King Richard
It’s been said that well-behaved women rarely make history. Well, the same thing applies to gangsters. Think about it, what are Bumpy Johnson, Frank Lucas, and Big Meech known for? Not their kindness, that’s for sure. I mean, have you seen Denzel Washington in American Gangster? I damn near shit myself when he shot Idris Elba’s character. That guy is almost too believable; it’s scary. I digress. Although King Richard depicts the story of Richard Williams and his daughter’s (Venus’s) rise to athletic stardom, it was the compassion of one local gang member that royally surprised me.
Richard would train his daughters at a local tennis court in Compton, California. Some gang members would harass them, targeting his eldest daughter; she was 16-years-old. Each time he would confront them and each time he would lose, one pistol whip at a time. Having had enough, one night, he planned to either scare or kill the lead gang member by brandishing a gun; it is unclear what his intentions were. As he got closer to the young man, a black car opened fire on him, killing him instantly. Unbeknownst to Richard at the time, it was a rival gang member that was doing him and his girls a favor. The young man saw how Richard defended his girls and he took it upon himself to protect them while they practiced. Part of that protection package included neutralizing any-and-all threats. At that moment, it was as if he and Richard entered into an unspoken pact, like one amongst members of a wolf pack.
Wolves are highly intelligent and devoted to family. As a result, a wolf pack is a coveted social unit made up of biological and extended family members. Alphas have one job, to take care of members of the pack who are unable to take care of themselves. That can range from members who are elderly, like Richard, young, or injured.
Although not the highlight of the film, Richard and the young man’s relationship is note-worthy. For the first time in his life, Richard encounters a male who is willing to defend and protect him. We later find out that the lack of defense and protection in his life was the driving force behind his plan for his girls to become tennis players in the first place. It’s ironic. Someone with such a small role in the film represents a big concept. King Richard is a feel-good film that teaches us a valuable lesson: hard work rarely goes unnoticed. There is always someone who sees and respects you for it.
