Serena and Venus on the fabulous Oracene, mother of the Williams Dynasty - Mother Power - Oracene Price and mothers of other celebrities - Interview

MOTHER Power comes in different flavors and different combinations. It is Tina Knowles and Simpson designing clothes and personas for two of the most original women of our era, Beyonce and India.Arie. It is financier Geraldine Barber teaching NFL twins Ronde and Tiki Barber how to manage money, and Teresa Caldwell effortlessly guiding Lil' Bow Wow to Bow Wow and fame and millions.

It is, above all else perhaps, the fabulous and generally unknown Oracene Price, who mothered the Williams Dynasty, which includes not only Wimbledon champions Serena and Venus, but three other daughters who are also champions in her heart: Lyndrea Price, a Web designer; Yetunde Price, a beauty salon owner; and Isha Williams, a law school student.

One of the great images of our era is that of the unflappable Oracene, sitting like a great Queen Mother in the champion's box, watching every match her daughters play, even the matches they play against each other, always calm and indomitable, win, lose or draw. "Matches between the two of them, I am pretty relaxed," she said as she sat down recently for a rare interview. "When they play each other, I have a good time. It's a very positive experience. It's something we dreamed about when they were very young. And when that reality occurs, I'm very relaxed."

It's that down-to-earth demeanor that her daughters most cherish. Serena calls her mother "wild and fun and crazy ... a very strong person, very passionate, very sincere, very honest and spiritual person ..." She adds: "The way my mother handles situations, her strength of character, the way she expresses herself--has really influenced me. She's a very strong individual."

The former nurse from Mississippi has watched her two world-famous daughters grow up in the intense media spotlight. With maturity has come different interests for the two tennis superstars. They no longer travel together as much as they did in the past, and they seem to be pursuing different interests. Venus is immersed in her interior decorating business, Vstarr Designs, while Serena has purchased a home in Los Angeles and is pursuing acting roles. In fact, Serena reportedly is in the process of shooting a new syndicated action series.

When the three are together, they enjoy watching TV together and going out to dinner. Whatever they are doing, the three are usually sharing a laugh, most times at their mother's expense. "We always make fun of her," Serena says. "She's a good sport because if my kids mess with me as much as I mess with her, I don't know what I would do. But she's very easygoing. She's really great. She keeps us laughing, keeps us calm. She keeps us grounded."

Oracene says she is most proud that her daughters "are balanced, keep their heads and don't think more of themselves than they should." "They know who they are," she adds. "They are self-confident and proud of who they are as Black women and they do not try to change and be something that they are not."

She believes her biggest influence on her daughters has been stability, faith and discipline. Serena says that discipline from her mother was in the form of strong love, a love that made all of the siblings strive to do the right things. "I've always tried to be respectful of my parents," Serena says. "We were all pretty good kids. I never sneaked out windows. I've never had the desire to do that. I've never talked back to my mom."

When Serena, her youngest daughter, turned 18, Oracene has said she breathed a sigh of relief. "I couldn't wait 'til Serena turned 18 because I could take my life back," she has said. "When you have kids, they take your life and you don't have any really, because you want to devote your time to them. At this point, I've started to get my life back. I'm not one to be idle."

Last year, Venus, Serena and their sisters had to come to grips with the separation and divorce of their parents, who were married in 1980. Citing irreconcilable differences, Oracene and Richard Williams went their separate ways, living apart but vowing to continue to work together when it came to their daughters.

"I was very honest with our children that a reconciliation would not happen," Oracene said in a statement shortly after the divorce was final and she reverted back to her maiden name of Price. "They've accepted our divorce and love us, as we both love them. Richard and I will continue to work together for the good of our girls, and I truly wish him well."

Richard Williams, the son of a Louisiana sharecropper, is the architect of the Williams tennis dynasty. He learned to play the country club sport by reading books and watching videos. Williams no longer travels full-time with his daughters.

Meanwhile, Oracene believes she is living life anew, searching for a higher meaning, the true purpose of the historic story she has so masterfully mothered. "I'm looking for a revelation to come to me," she says. "It's like anything else you accomplish. You work hard for it, and accomplish it and you're like, `Okay, what's next?' Only God knows what's next. We put God first in our lives, and let Him guide us. You always plan things, but you never know how it's going to turn out. More and more, I believe there's a higher purpose. I'm always asking God what is it that He wants me to do. I don't know myself. But I always let God lead me."