Misogynoir and the Misrepresentation of Young Black Women
It has finally started to feel like spring in Toronto this week. I am very happy with the past four days of sunshine and warm weather! My mood and energy have shifted compared to the past few weeks of gray, cool weather.
Last month was “March Madness,” which describes the excitement of the US College basketball championships. As a huge basketball fan and former high school basketball player, I was completely absorbed in the tournaments, with a particular focus on the women’s championship. I enjoy watching the playoffs to see young people play a game they love and watch many of them make their dreams of playing the game professionally come true. I witness the incredible talent and skills on display and see the future WNBA and NBA players in action. I even watch the drafts and cheer for these athletes!
For the women’s Final Four semi-final games, I was glued to my television and soaked in every minute. I wanted both Aliyah Boston and the University of South Carolina, as well as Angel Reese and Lousiana State U (LSU) to advance to the finals for an epic final game between these teams and their star players. LSU played a fantastic game, coming back in the final quarter to win. They played with heart and intensity and never lost focus. The commentators and analysts noted that Reese and her teammate Alexis Morris combined to score 52 of the team’s 79 points and this might be the team’s weakness. “Ummm,” I thought, “that comment is interesting.” In the second semi-final game, unfortunately, South Carolina could not match Iowa’s strong defense. The commentators and analysts couldn’t stop raving about Iowa’s star Caitlyn Clark and how she played with tremendous heart and scored 41 of her team’s 72 points. Huh? How could the commentators who labeled this as a weakness in LSU’s game identify this as a strength in Iowa? I had a bit of a sinking feeling as I listened to the commentary.
In the finals, LSU played an even more amazing game. They dominated the first half with their three-point shooting, which they are not known for. The young women showed up and showed out. LSU won but then the racism reached a fervent pitch. During the game, Reese waved her hand at Clark, pointing to her ring finger implying she would win a championship ring. People said it was “a poor display of sportsmanship,” but I guess these same folks missed when Clark did the exact same thing in the Elite Eight quarter-finals game. During the press conference following the game, Reese said throughout the entire season, she was told she was too hood (poor and low class), and too loud, but she won a championship for all the girls who were watching and looked like her. She continued by saying the chamionship was bigger than her. On the best night of her life, she responded to the racism and sexism she experienced during her championship basketball season, and by doing this showed she is far more than the sport she plays so well.
Her words resonated with me because I was also told these things growing up. I remember at my grade 8 graduation, I did not win a single award in my graduating class although I had the top marks, played on all of the sports teams, and displayed great leadership qualities. My family told me it was because I was too loud! That really hurt. But you know what I did in grade 9? I got louder!! Yes, I met up with 15 young Black women and together we were even louder. We took up space in our school and earned incredible respect. We became leaders in our school, advocating for our peers and holding teachers accountable. I met these women playing on the grade 9 basketball team and we became lifelong friends. Yes, 30 years later a few of us remain very good friends and continue to do life together.
You may have heard the term 'misogyny' and know that it refers to the hatred of women that is expressed in words, thoughts, beliefs, and actions and lies at the root of sexism, transphobia, and homophobia. The term Misogynoir describes the specific hatred of Black women because of the intersection of racism and sexism. The term was created by Professor Moya Bailey in 2010 to explain the hatred borne by Black trans and cisgender women in the US. Bailey explains that Black women are often vilified and thus misrepresented by mainstream cultures. There is a long history of this, which I might unpack in a future post, but when Reese, her teammates, and other young Black women are told they are too loud, hood, ghetto, fat, ugly, masculine, etc., it is a form of misogynoir. And it hurts. The same confidence, joy, love, and strength when displayed by other women are deemed assets, but when embodied by Black young women, these same characteristics are seen as threats.
Over the weekend, I spoke with my parents about this and asked “Why are people always coming for our Black girls?” I choked up and still am very emotional about this unfair, inequitable treatment. So, please hug the young Black women in your life. Let them know they are awesome. Encourage them to always be themselves. Tell them there are folks who cannot handle their love, joy, and fierceness, and that’s okay because it just means those people are not their people, not their tribe. And please tell them to always be loud and proud of who they are. #Blackgirlmagic.
Thank you for reading my blog. And let me know what you think about how media and mainstream cultures misrepresent Black young women.
Michelle