Black athletes have pushed for and earned respect in the American athletic arena. However, research suggests that exclusion and discrimination strategies are still being used to limit the chances and advancement accessible to colored minority groups. For example, multiple scholarly works focus on the oppressive environment that surrounds Serena Williams. According to Tredway (2019), Serena Williams is a talented professional tennis player. She is also a Black woman, which plays a significant role in how she is represented in tennis. Nevertheless, the media and tennis fans continue to express racist attitudes towards various actions and behaviors of this woman.
Researchers identified multiple pieces of evidence of mistreatment and misunderstanding, as well as marginalization against Serena Williams. For instance, Tredway (2019) claims that although Serena’s overreactions are not more outrageous than those of other players, her blackness interrupts the anticipated tennis performance. As a result, the audience connects to her the extra imaginaries of those features associated with blackness, such as the absence of consideration for authority and violent behavior.
Next, Douglas (2011) contends that the media’s obsession with William’s public and private activities is a sort of surveillance employed by Whites to detect, monitor, and eventually limit the variety of accessible portrayals of Serena Williams. The author also contends that such public scrutiny generates racist imagery and narratives.
Similarly, other authors identify racist attitudes toward the female tennis player, although in different aspects of interaction with Serena Williams. Namely, Mansfield et al. (2018) critically examine Serena Williams’ cultural representations to explain and express the relevance of Black feminism. Moreover, the authors provide evidence that Serena Williams is rated last in sponsorship dollars and less than Maria Sharapova, ranked below her as a tennis player.
They believe this disparity has no logical explanation other than long-held stereotypes regarding female athletes and how people believe they should appear. However, tennis players refuse to be treated as second-class citizens, as others expect from Black women.
Finally, a recent study refers to online discriminatory practices against Serena Williams. Namely, Litchfield et al. (2018) demonstrated how gendered animosity, sexualized threats of violence, and racially tinged vitriol are all part of a grim narrative of human behaviour in a specific virtual domain. The authors argue that online platforms may enable a total abandonment of social restraints that might otherwise exist in physical encounters, creating a fertile ground for abuse.
The violence is directed towards high-profile persons such as athletes, especially Serena Willams. Several essential themes emerged when the authors explored the online discussions of the tennis player, the most significant of which were accusations of drugs that improve performance usage and racism. Such themes demonstrated the merging of many types of oppression experienced by Williams, confirming the concept of the Black female athlete as the other in virtual realms.
Additionally, scholars described the pattern of discrimination against other Black female tennis players, such as Naomi Osaka. As such, Razack and Joseph’s (2020) study highlighted that sports and media are rife with overt and covert anti-Black sexism, as women in the Black community are rarely in charge of sports legislation or media depictions. The research presented a content analysis of the blatant misogyny and racism toward tennis player Naomi Osaka.
The findings indicated the continued sexism and colorism of sports media and athlete sponsorships. Moreover, the authors found racial, national, and diaspora media misrepresentations, as well as the athlete’s resilience to gendered racism through self-representation (Razack & Joseph, 2020). Therefore, the studies suggest that racist and sexist discriminatory practices in tennis are prominent and continue to affect the careers of Black women, although they attempt to resist the oppression.
In my opinion, women of African descent have been and continue to suffer the brunt of discriminatory attacks due to the structural and institutional racism and sexism in the US society. Serena Williams’ treatment demonstrates that the dark heritage of slavery, racism, and black female exploitation is still alive. It is especially evident in the widespread disdain, societal criticism, and double standards. I believe this complex issue should be addressed by organisations that propagate racism and sexism. Namely, tennis sports organisations should promote sponsorship and adequate media representation to fight the repeating narratives of discriminatory imagery of black female athletes.
The problem of structural racism and sexism applies not only to the tennis area but to everyday life since it reflects the processes and behaviours that are present in the larger society. Women have been kept back by institutionalised misogyny for centuries.
Gender discrimination is rooted in governmental decisions, employment practices, and cultural norms, exacerbated by racism and other discriminatory frameworks. Recognizing these patterns is crucial since they perpetuate a vicious circle of power and resource inequities, preventing women from gaining economic, societal, cultural, and political clout. Finally, this power disparity limits not only the ability of women to grow but also the ability of our whole economy and society to thrive. Therefore, the problem of racism and sexism in tennis should be significant not only to the fans of the sport but individuals as citizens of a democratic country.
References
Douglas, D. D. (2011). Venus, Serena, and the inconspicuous consumption of blackness. Journal of Black Studies, 43(2), 127–145. Web.
Litchfield, C., Kavanagh, E., Osborne, J., & Jones, I. (2018). Social media and the politics of gender, race and identity: the case of Serena Williams. European Journal for Sport and Society, 15(2), 154–170. Web.
Mansfield, L., Caudwell, J., Wheaton, B., & Watson, B. (2018). The Palgrave handbook of feminism and sport, leisure and physical education. Palgrave Macmillan.
Razack, S., & Joseph, J. (2020). Misogynoir in women’s sport media: race, nation, and diaspora in the representation of Naomi Osaka. Media, Culture &Amp; Society, 43(2), 291–308. Web.
Tredway, K. (2019). Serena Williams and (the perception of) violence: intersectionality, the performance of blackness, and women’s professional tennis. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 43(9), 1563–1580. Web.