There are many reasons to love Serena, among them: her relentless pursuit of excellence, her grace in victory and defeat, her commitment to her family and her commitment to using her platform responsibly and purposefully.
Now, you can add singing—to an audience of at least 9.9 million—to that list.
In true Serena form, the tennis champ is championing women’s health this month by unveiling a new PSA on her Instagram account encouraging women to self-check for breast cancer.
The video, which Williams shared on Sunday, shows Williams half-naked, cupping her breasts, and singing a rendition of the Divinyls hit song “I Touch Myself.”
“This put me out of my comfort zone, but I wanted to do it because it’s an issue that affects all women of all colors,” Williams wrote in the caption.
Now, it isn’t exactly clear whether it was filming a semi-nude video, singing or a combination of both that Williams is referring to, but regardless, the end result is a beautiful mix of body and inner-confidence.
The PSA coincides with the start of the Breast Cancer Awareness Month. And while breast cancer affects women of all ages and ethnicities (and yes, it affects men too), black women in particular need to be mindful about self-checking.
While black and white women experience breast cancer at the same rates, black women are 20 to 40 percent more likely to die from the disease, according to research released earlier this year. Breastcancer.org cites a mix of factors contributing to this: including genetics and differences in healthcare access and treatment.
So, please, take Serena’s lead and touch yourself.