"If you get called the n-word, just say thank you" - When Venus & Serena Williams' mother Oracene revealed how she educated her daughters about race

Oracene Price is among the most influential people in the lives of Venus and Serena Williams, starting with coaching them alongside their father Richard when they were children.

Even after she divorced Richard Williams in 2002, Oracene continued to remain a fixture in her daughter's lives. She often attended tournaments when they were playing in the US, offering them her support.

It was behind the scenes that Oracene Price played an even bigger role in the careers of both Venus and Serena Williams. From how to deal with racist attacks to how to achieve their dreams, it was their mother that the girls turned to, something Oracene was well aware of.

Speaking to Sports Illustrated in an interview in 1999, the Williams sisters' mother asserted that she "schooled" her girls on what to do if someone called them the 'n-word.' She revealed that she advised them to say "Thank you!"

In Oracene's opinion, the way to combat such racist attacks was to let the perpetrators know that her daughters were not bothered by the word, thus encouraging them to drop the act and leave them alone.

"I schooled the girls on the n****r issue. I said, You might get called that, and if you do, just say, 'Thank you!' I love it. You know, I am so sick of people saying the n-word. Forget it. 'It's what you are! Say it! Go on!' Eventually when they see it doesn't bother you, they'll leave it alone. I can't wait for someone to say it. I've been planning on it," Oracene said.

Oracene Price also commented on the living conditions in Compton, where Venus and Serena Williams grew up, stating that she hated the place and that she was, at times, ashame to say where she lived. However, she soon became used to it, which she used as motivation to remind her daughters that there was nothing unattainable for them.

"I never had the ghetto frame of mind," Oracene said. "When I first moved there I hated it. Where I was raised, we had trees and a house. It was nice. I was ashamed to say I lived in Compton. After a while I got used to it. But my mind was never in Compton. If my daughters said they couldn't do anything, I'd say, 'Yes, you can. You can do anything you want. Nothing is unattainable.'"

"I teach my kids to live in reality: You're black, you always have to work harder" - Venus and Serena Williams' mother Oracene

2013 French Open - Day Fourteen

Oracene Price added that she made it a priority to teach her kids to live in reality -- that they had to work harder than anyone else because of their race, even if they did not have to prove themselves to anybody.

"I teach my kids to live in reality: You're black, you always have to work harder--but you don't have to prove yourself to anybody. I don't expect you to, and I don't expect you to apologize. Ever. It's like the Bible says: If someone is talking bad about you, be happy," Oracene said.