"I wanted to use sports for social change"
About this Quote
The intent is plain but ambitious: take an institution that already commands attention and redirect it toward equity. King understood that sport is one of the few places where performance is visible, quantifiable, and culturally legible. If you can prove excellence on the court, you can force conversations off it. That’s why the subtext isn’t merely personal empowerment; it’s a challenge to the gatekeepers who hide behind tradition, prize money structures, and “separate but equal” myths.
Context makes the sentence sharper. King’s career sits at the intersection of second-wave feminism, labor rights, and media spectacle. The “Battle of the Sexes” wasn’t just a match; it was a live broadcast of an argument about women’s competence and worth. Her push for equal prize money, her role in forming women-led tours, and her later advocacy for LGBTQ rights all fit the same strategy: turn visibility into pressure, pressure into policy.
The quote works because it collapses the false choice between excellence and activism. King’s genius was recognizing that winning could be a form of organizing.
Quote Details
| Topic | Equality |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
King, Billie Jean. (2026, January 17). I wanted to use sports for social change. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-wanted-to-use-sports-for-social-change-43947/
Chicago Style
King, Billie Jean. "I wanted to use sports for social change." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-wanted-to-use-sports-for-social-change-43947/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I wanted to use sports for social change." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-wanted-to-use-sports-for-social-change-43947/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.


