Khaled Itani | Staff Writer
Insane and unbecoming of Serena Williams’ behavior, everyone saw her outrage in the 2009 Women’s US Open Final, her reaction can be described by the years of injustice in her illustrious career. Is this what a victorious or defeated black woman looks like in a historically white sport? “I feel most colored when I am thrown against a sharp white background,” said Zora Neale, this is most appropriate in the career of Serena Williams.
Serena Williams is an iconic figure in the world of tennis, renowned for her exceptional out-of-this-world talent and fierce competitiveness. She burst into the scene in the late 1990s and has since dominated the sport, winning 23 grand slam singles, including six US Open titles and numerous Olympic gold medals making her one of the most successful players in the sport’s history.
‘Angry Black Woman’ is a harmful stereotype that portrays black women as aggressive, confrontational, and hostile. It is deeply rooted in a historical and cultural conception to marginalize and dehumanize black women. No one could protect Serena from people who felt her black body didn’t belong on their court, in their world. They made it clear that they didn’t want her on their tennis court, the best form of these detractors is perhaps Mariana Alves, a tennis chair umpire, who was excused from officiating any more matches on the final day of the US Open after she made five bad calls against Serena in her semifinal match against Jennifer Capriati. The serves struck by Serena were landing within the lines, without any controversy of whether they were out, it was clear that they were landing for everyone except Alves. “No, no, no,” Serena wagged her finger and said in disbelief, shocked at how these calls were taking place. John McEnroe, also a professional in tennis, was more shocked that Serena could keep it together. Why was this injustice allowed at such a level of professionalism? “Capriati wins it with the help of the umpires and the line judges,” one commentator stated, showing his disappointment with the umpire and their faulty decisions. Serena after the match said “I’m very angry and bitter right now. I feel cheated. Shall I go on? I just feel robbed.”
You would think that was the last time this would happen to Serena. However, five years later in another semi-final of the same cup it happened, this time against Kim Clijsters. A different umpire tennis chair Sharon Wright was officiating the match, at a crucial point for Serena in the second set after losing the first and smashing her racket, receiving a warning from Alvis. She was serving to stay in the match, and the line judge called out that Serena stepped on the line while serving, at that time the hawk-eye technology didn’t cover the feet and only the ball. “No foot fault, you definitely do not see a foot fault there,” said McEnroe, everyone was in disbelief. “I swear to f*cking God I’m fucking going to take this f*cking ball and shove it down your f*cking throat, you hear that? I swear to God!” as offensive as it was, her reaction after years of being wronged and judged unfairly for no reason except her color. Her words that should’ve been said in 2009 were seen as insane, she was punished with an $82,500 fine and a two-year probation.
Trapped in her black body, trapped for being black in this unfair world. The rules that everyone plays by don’t apply to her. As the years passed, she would win more trophies, bringing in the only two gold medals the Americans would win in tennis. When she won, she celebrated by doing a three-second celebratory dance on the court, “If a n****r paints a flower it becomes a slavery flower, flower de Amistad,” This quote from Hennessy Youngman, aka Jayson Musson in one of his YouTube videos titled “How to Be a Successful Artist” perfectly captures what the media thought of Serena’s dance labeling it as Crip-walking, which is a dance done by gangsters. The media failed Serena, watching only her skin and not her endless contributions to the sport and her American nationality. Only viewing her as an “Angry Black Woman”. Serena would go on to win all her games in the 2012 championship tournament, ignoring any injustice and bad calls made against her. The media saw her reactions and called her “dignified” and “courageous” when responding to racism.
In the face of adversity and systemic bias, Serena Williams has endured both on and off the tennis court, challenging the limitations imposed by the ‘angry black woman’ stereotype. Her resilience and unparalleled success have defied societal expectations, reshaping the narrative surrounding black female athletes and inspiring countless individuals to persevere against injustice. Serena’s journey reminds us of the ongoing struggle for equality and the importance of authenticity in breaking down barriers, echoing Zora Neale Hurston’s poignant reflection on navigating racial dynamics in the predominantly white world of tennis.