Following Serena Williams’ outcry at the U.S. Open, a cartoon by Australian artist Mark Knight at the Herald Sun was released yesterday evening that mocked Williams acting like a baby (including a pacifier on the side), and more concerningly, Naomi Osaka portrayed as a white woman speaking to Carlos Ramos.

With all the horrifying slams against Serena Williams, Osaka herself has cried in apology to her former opponent — despite being the first Japanese woman to win the U.S. Open.

It’s remarkable that people are demonizing Williams’ behavior, going as far as to call her disgraceful. To focus on this particular moment in time is to deny the history that has continually portrayed the tennis star as someone who is not worth her title.

Williams has been the victim of racist and sexist jokes despite her consistent victories. She is sexualized and fetishized for her athletic figure, and she has notably been tested for drugs more than most tennis athletes. Criticism against her has consistently supported the “black angry woman” stereotype. Even her own fellow tennis players have mocked and objectified parts of her body.

A 2017 Vox article said: “It’s as bogus as the rest of the labels she’s endured, but given the slights against her over the years, she has every right to be outraged.”

Williams has been penalized before for minor incidents. Carlos Ramos, the umpire that flared up this controversy, should have known better than to further flare up Williams’ anger. Umpires have a role to control the game and should serve to not cause further controversy or emotional attack. Instead, he did the opposite.

As a result, Naomi Osaka will never know if she deserve the win she got, or if it was caused by an umpire’s inability to elevate anger. She has been robbed of her own victory.

Serena Williams has a right to be angry. More than a decade’s worth of hard work is always shot down by constant criticism and dehumanization because of her blackness. And we, too, as human beings who deserve a right to be treated fairly, must be as angry.

Published on September 10, 2018 at 10:58 pm