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Am late to this. But, re: Black Womanhood. Yes, Black Women have always been antithetical to the idea of being a woman and ‘femininity’, and no better is this represented than arguably the largest institutional bulwark of biological essentialism: sport.
Black women are severely policed as athletes. Whether by the press and commentators to sporting bodies and authorities themselves. We only need to think about Caster Semenya, Serena Williams, Debi Thomas
All women who are regularly compared to men, and have had their careers disrupted for not being ‘feminine’ enough. Especially when they outperform their white counterparts. In turn, threatening established notions of womanhood reserved for white women.
This comment whilst at the time seen as ‘controversial’ was one of the driving forced behind the IAAF case against Caster—alongwith Lynsey Sharpe’s tears. See how Black Women (not only Caster here) are implicitly being relegated to a position outside of womanhood...? https://twitter.com/deanvannguyen/status/1123652180857245698
About Debi Thomas, an AA figure skater. Rolling Stone wrote Thomas’s skating is “fiery, and her jumps— the most challenging as high as some men’s” and comments that “Thomas looks gigantic on ice, with thighs as sturdy as a male ballet dancer’s.”
—Ramona J. Bell (2008)
—Ramona J. Bell (2008)
Serena has always been a target. This is particularly egregious for turning Naomi Osaka, a mixed race woman, white. This is to contrast the ‘dainty’ innocent white feminine against the ‘hulking’ Black bully. Clearly, meant to call into question and police womanhood. https://twitter.com/sheer__opulence/status/1278425114816716809
These are just a few examples. But, seeing this why do fellow Black cis women seek to act as gatekeepers when really and truly we have been and are excluded from womanhood under white supremacy. A lot of the convos I’ve seen on this have borderlined transphobic territory.
I’m still learning and very open to discussion on this, but considering the current boundaries of being a woman are dictated by proximity to white womanhood.
I say proximity as we see dark-skin Black women, Trans Black women, fat Black women, queer Black women, disabled Black women, Black women who are sex workers (this list isn’t exhaustive) face greater violence for their existence undermines this structure.
Oh recommend this btw: https://etd.ohiolink.edu/!etd.send_file?accession=bgsu1214250965&disposition=inline
If anyone has any good reading on Biological essentialism in sport and/ or Black Women in sport please send it my way!
