The esteemed tennis icon has always received flack for simply being a Black woman.
Over the weekend, Serena Williams—also known as the GOAT—made waves for a seemingly different appearance at 2024 Paris Fashion Week. Critics of the 42-year-old athlete commented on her complexion appearing lighter and even accused her of having facial plastic surgery. The only question that should be asked is: Why should Williams care what anyone thinks?
A user on X/Twitter shared a video of the star at one of the shows and captured it: “This is just sad.” The clip prompted another user to respond: “Funny, though, you can see the skin lightning, the facial plastic surgery augmentation, the nose in particular, etc. Remember the proud little Compton girls with braids and colorful beads?”
This really is revisionist history at its best. Serena Williams has faced racist scrutiny for years. As she dominated the world of tennis, white folks often painted her as inhumane. Sadly, Black folks jumped on this bandwagon as well and denied her humanity as well as her femininity. Williams was fodder for hatred and vicious commentary for simply being a Black woman.
https://x.com/TeflonQi/status/1764455133167878638?s=20
Serena Williams being a dark-skinned, athletic Black woman who broke records in an overwhelmingly white sport for decades meant that she was a regular target for sexist and anti-Black attacks. After her win at the French Open back in June 2015, Williams was called an animal and had her body compared to a man’s physique.
However, the slander started when she was much younger. At the infamous 2001 BNP Paribas Open tournament in Indian Wells, California, Serena and her sister Venus Williams were not only booed by fans but were also called the N-word. Someone even told the pair: “’I wish it was ‘75; we’d skin you alive,’” Serena recalled to USA Today.
Williams boycotted the event for over a decade as a result, returning in 2015. In 2009, Jason Whitlock stated that she has “chosen to smother” her beauty “in an unsightly layer of thick, muscled blubber.” In 2012, Danish tennis player Caroline Wozniacki mocked Williams by stuffing her bra and skirt during a match against her.
Despite decades of mistreatment and cruelty, Williams continued to break records in tennis including: 23 grand slam singles titles, four Olympic gold medals, 14 grand slam doubles titles, and a “Serena Slam.” She also found love with husband, Alexis Ohanian, and gave birth to two beautiful daughters.
If Serena wants to wear certain kinds of makeup or have surgery or alter her appearance, it’s well within her right to do what makes her feel beautiful. Black women will receive hostility regardless of whatever we do, so we might as well enjoy it.
