Dozens of tennis players gather every Saturday at Elmira Avenue Park in East Durham, continuing a tradition that stretches back to the 1970s, when courts where Black players felt welcome were harder to find. The eight courts there now show large cracks, warped surfaces, and water damage that make play difficult for everyone, and especially risky for the older players who have called the park home for decades.
LaVerne Harper, 86, has played at Elmira since the courts opened in 1978. Bruce Parker, another regular, once grabbed a pinch of dirt from the ground to underscore Harper's longevity. "You see this stuff right here? He ain't quite as old as that." Harper shrugs off the ribbing. For him and the rest of the group, the weekly gathering is more than tennis. "Every weekend is an event," he said.
The courts are not the only ones in Durham that need work. The Eno Community Tennis Association has pushed for repairs for years, arguing that upgraded facilities would serve local players and draw regional and national tournaments, generating tax revenue for the city. That pressure has moved Durham Parks and Recreation to recommend $7 million to address a backlog of court improvements across Durham.
Whether that money gets included in the budget is now the question. The city releases a draft budget on May 18.
Adriane Charleston, who plays regularly at Elmira, brought her 8-year-old son, Lightning, to a March public hearing to make the case. Lightning told the room what Saturdays at the park mean to him and his mother. "When we don't play tennis, we sit under a tree and laugh, crack jokes, and talk each other's heads off."
His mother put it plainly: "It is just so important to us that we continue to develop the community around tennis."