Why Racism Won’t Let Black Women Like Angel Reese Enjoy The Limelight
Why White feminism and misogynoir always show up to downplay the accomplishments of Black women.
This past weekend Louisiana State University beat the University of Iowa in the women's NCAA tournament final to win their first championship. It was a historical win, to see LSU take the stage and win the title was a proud moment for many Black people across the globe. However, the LSU Tigers' dominance and great accomplishments are being overshadowed by two agents of racism; White feminism and misogynoir.
It seems that whenever Black women are vocal and expressive of their emotions—good or bad—they get criticised for being their unapologetic and authentic selves. LSU player Angel Reese was undoubtedly fantastic throughout the tournament as she was named the 2023 Women's Final Four Most Outstanding Player. Though when Angel showcased her emotions and competitive nature the internet was outraged, outraged to see a Black woman win and receive her flowers.
Society will attempt to find any avenue to attack Black women when we are expressive of our emotions. It happened to Angel Reese when she was labelled as “classless”, and “disrespectful” for pointing her ring finger and making a “you can’t see me” gesture to her…
