This piece came to me after UNC Chapel Hill appointed Hubert Davis as the first Black head coach in the university's history. His press conference took a turn for the worst after such and achievement.
“As a Black Woman, I define self-care as the ability to safely and comfortably exhale.” ― Bethanee Epifani J. Bryant, Don’t Fall Prey! Dating Tales, Trials, & Triumphs
Black women have been the backbones of various movements throughout history. Black women have evolved over time, creating a well-known presence in society that not only empowers the culture but also generations of up-and-coming Black women. The Black woman, though, has had tough times throughout history as a collective. We were looked down upon and seen as the bottom of the pyramid. Even though times have changed, The Black woman is still targeted today.
The new head coach for NC’s beloved Tar Heels, Hubert Davis, recently sat down in a press conference to address his new role. Coming in as the replacement for long-time head coach, Roy Williams, Davis is the first Black head basketball coach in Tar Heel history. In his conference, Coach Davis answered various questions related UNC and its sports history, but Coach Davis later made an unprompted point that did not sit well with me, a Black woman.
“I’m very proud to be African American, but I’m also very proud that my wife is white and I’m very proud that our three beautiful, unbelievable kids are a combination of both of us,” Coach Davis said.
The comment, to me, was felt on different level when it comes to race and gender. As Black woman, Coach Davis’s comment feels like a backhanded way to say that “because I’m a Black man who’s married to a white woman, I’m above the woman in my own race.”
The comment he made did not seem appropriate for the conference and leads me to believe that Coach Davis is saying his white wife is some sort of trophy or prize. With the history of Black women, you would think that the same Black men we stood beside would uplift and empower their woman, but it is apparent that the stereotypes have some influence in the lives of those who are “for the culture.”
Head Coach Davis is nonetheless a respectable person and a man meant to make history, but his comments just raise questions about how Black women are still being treated even today where we are now a vital component in progressing forward. I guess I could say that Black men should be just as prideful when discussing their Black wives or the Black women in their lives. There’s not true beef as far as the race of his wife is concerned, but let us not forget where we came from. Let us not forget about our Black women who endured so much hardship so that we can have one in one of highest political positions in America right now.
Being a Black woman has been an experience, but being an educated, Black woman has been toughest road I have been on so far. All women should be treated with the utmost respect and dignity, but the Black women should also be commended for paving the way for many people to do what they are doing now.
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