The GOAT, Periodt.

“The GOAT, periodt. “

Recently there were some less than flattering photos of Serena circulating the blogosphere.

Whether is was the make up or poking fun at her feet, the commenters online seemed sure that she was trying to be white, had a bad make up artist, bad eyebrows and feet. She married a white guy. She doesn’t know how to “look presentable”.

The misogynior is self-evident. We say that black is beautiful. There are whole campaigns dedicated to the subject and everybody chimes in on cue in a directed choir of self love when it comes to skin tone. But the truth is, Kelly Rowland is just as talented as Beyoncé. Beyoncé is just as talented of not more than the hundreds of white performers who get credit for fitting into the absolution of whiteness. Will she get paid the same?

Janet Jackson was scandalized for a wordrobe malfunction and apparently Justin Timberlake wasn’t even around and suffered relatively little backlash. And while Miley Cyrus shouldn’t have been demeaned for expressing herself through twerking if Lizzo does it she’s violated respectability standards.

Fantasia is inarguably one of the most talented artists to come from American Idol, and yet she battled people talking about her look.

We construct universes where women of color are viewed as low value because they are not fair skinned and then promptly demonize them when they are seen as aggressive overly sexual, or just too black. Black Women are forced into a box where they can only be great as long as they stay in their place.

Ironic that in the middle of a pandemic, this athlete, arguably one of the greatest of our time, who had such a difficult time being accepted into spaces where her skin tone and her gender were an issue should be torn down with such zeal.

For the record, I don’t think Serena Williams is bleaching her skin. But if she is, getting hundreds of comments diminishing her for being white washed, “sunken place”, not feminine and lost isn’t the kind of self affirmation she needs or deserves.

We can watch Will Smith bear his “dad” bod and laugh at how relatable he is, but the mere existence of this woman perhaps having flash back and we assume that she’s unhappy with herself and her appearance.

And maybe it’s because secretly we expect her to be. Society doesn’t particularly value dark skinned black women. They don’t get as many “likes” and love. There is a deeply rooted inherent dislike of blackness even within ourselves that is an unhealed wound.

In either event it says more about us than it does about her.

I wanted to celebrate her. I hope you enjoy.

“They See”

They see your flaws,

They see flashback

God sees your fierceness

In a world that hates the opulence of rich cocoa black

grounded like earth

a star on the horizon of a a darkened sky

A lighthouse of divine

determinate sheer will

Nubian magic

You defeated a thousand foes and yet the

the bruises from your skin kin, like twin flames

still remain

They see your feet

and point out your imperfections

God sees where they have carried you

Shadows

many battles you fought to earn their hard won callouses

Black woman rising

defying gravity

Of a world where she

Was told she was never meant to be

And the weight of a sullen history of slaughter

Native daughter

To hardship

And yet you still warrior like backhand projected self hatred

With your fierce hand

Never be ashamed of who you are

The body that carries

The face that struggles to fit greatness

Into small boxes

Boxes that were always too small to hold your brilliance