USTA Foundation pledges 800,000 service hours in support of Martin Luther King Jr.-inspired “Realize the Dream” movement

The USTA Foundation calls on people everywhere to turn small moments into acts of service through a partnership with ‘Realize the Dream’, a national initiative led by Martin Luther King III, Arndrea Waters King and Yolanda Renee King. This movement promotes positive change through community service and volunteerism, with an ambitious goal of achieving 100 million hours of service by Dr. King's 100th birthday in 2029, and the USTA Foundation has pledged to help them achieve that goal.

“Service was never meant to be symbolic,” said Martin Luther King III. “My father believed it was a powerful way to build dignity, opportunity, and unity. Through this partnership with the USTA Foundation, we are turning everyday moments into meaningful action and helping young people build stronger futures through service.”

Supporting ‘Realize the Dreams’’s mission to unify and inspire communities nationwide, the USTA Foundation completed more than 500,000 volunteer service hours in 2025, and has committed to reaching 800,000 hours by the end of 2026. The announcement was made Saturday, February 21, during the USTA Foundation’s Impact Conference held in Dallas.

“Real change happens when young people are given the tools to lead and serve,” said Arndrea Waters King. “This partnership creates clear pathways for connection, purpose, and impact, allowing the next generation to actively build the legacy they will carry forward.”

USTA Foundation event featuring Martin Luther King III with his wife, Arndrea Waters King and players from the Dallas NJTL. Photo by Fred Mullane/Camerawork USA.

The USTA Foundation aims to reach this goal through program hours and volunteer service opportunities provided by its flagship National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) network. This network, co-founded in 1969 by Arthur Ashe, Charlie Pasarell and Sheridan Snyder, comprises more than 270 community organizations nationwide and helps prepare young people from under-resourced communities to succeed in life through tennis, education and mentorship, scholarships, and college and career-readiness programs.

While NJTL co-founder Arthur Ashe and Dr. King never met in person, Dr. King held tremendous respect for Arthur and expressed his sentiments in a thoughtful note he sent to Ashe weeks before King’s assassination on April 4, 1968. That letter, a copy of which is linked here, is on display at the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

“In reading the letter from Dr. King and having the connection of that letter to Arthur, to tennis … service is such a big part of this idea. And this program is uniquely positioned to truly make a difference all these years later,” said photographer and activist Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe, Arthur Ashe’s widow. “This thread has been connected from 1968 to 2026 … I think if Dr. King knew that this came about in 2026—that is realizing the dream.”

Additionally, the USTA Foundation plans to further support the ‘Realize the Dream’ initiative by curating nearly 100 volunteer opportunities across NJTL chapters nationwide to celebrate Juneteenth on June 19. This effort will allow more than 1,000 USTA staff and volunteers to dedicate service hours to the program through the end of the month.

“This partnership is rooted in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s call to serve others and promote positive change. These ideals were also central to the life of tennis icon and NJTL network co-founder Arthur Ashe, who believed that progress is built through service, opportunity, and respect for others,” said USTA Foundation CEO Ginny Ehrlich.

"This work with ‘Realize the Dream' and the King family is a natural extension of those values, and we are proud to honor the legacies of both men by creating meaningful opportunities for young people and communities to thrive."