Ain’t I A Human: Black Women’s Anger
Serena Williams is one of the best tennis players to ever step foot on the court. She has and continues to dominate this mostly white sport with a vengeance, thrilling us with her edgy fashions and kick butt game. No matter what you say about her, she is undoubtedly a major ratings draw for the U.S. Open or any televised game. However, the rules seem to be different as it relates to her expressing anger on the court. Why is it always a significant backlash to a Black woman’s expression of anger?
Serena Williams had a few words with Eva Asderaki, the umpire at yesterday’s match. The call was made after Serena screamed “c’mon” during the match. Apparently this was considered a “hindrance” by the umpire, who swiftly awarded the point to Serena’s opponent, Sam Stosur. Serena, who was obviously struggling during the match, got angry and expressed it openly to the umpire. I am not sure about you, but isn’t it routine for athletes to express anger towards refs and umpires during games. If so, why on earth is Serena’s anger and competitive spirit met with such disdain? She never said one curse word and in fact was very controlled in her response.
Why is there no room for Black women to express their anger openly in the world? Why are we asked to silently fume and quietly go away when someone has stepped over the line? If a Black woman expresses her anger openly she is demonized, criticized, and turned into a “sapphiric’ character. Not once did Serena roll her eyes, head, neck during this encounter. She did not morph into Nene Leakes or Tami Roman on the court. She simply expressed her disdain at a call, that is it and that is all.
Please make room for Black women’s anger. Please challenge the racist and sexist rules that insist that we get pissed on and call it rain. White male athletes routinely respond angrily during sporting events and unless it gets violent, it doesn’t make the news. Ain’t I a human, entitled to express anger like everyone else. Yes I am and so is Serena Williams!
