Thread by @ProfessorCrunk

I hear the umps are threatening to boycott Serena’s matches. 1st, boycotts can both ways. So be warned. 2nd, don’t be distracted by this attempt to villainize a Black woman as hurting the game. The sexism & racism of the umps is hurting the game.

If women’s tennis wants to risk its ticket sales and tv ratings by effing with Serena, I invite them to try. But they should be clear that those actions are the textbook definition of structural sexism and racism.

This is how you know it’s racism — these folks are potentially willing to hurt their own bottom line to get a Black Woman in line. Anytime folks will hurt their own pocketbooks to reinforce some hierarchical social order (see #Obamacare), it’s racism!

Also, I’m tired of white male rules discourse. Serena’s anger gets amplified against the backdrop of generalized cultural misogynoir. But for people of color, white men talking about rules gets amplified against the backdrop of the Trump presidency.

This political moment is brought to us by a whole establishment that knows a white man cheated to win after failing at everything in his life. And now they yelling at a Black Woman who has won all the things based on merit alone abt being a cheater. FOH.

All this to say — y’all don’t care about rules until you talking to Black folks. Then all of a sudden rules are sacrosanct and punishment is unrelenting. And be clear the only violation I think Serena committed was breaking that racket. That is it.

And what these folks who keep on talking bout rules should be clear about is that on any given day some of us would gladly break a racket upside your head given that you patently refuse to break the racket that is white supremacy & the racket of sexism.

But lest I be accused of advocating violence (which I am not) I should just say be glad Black folks/Women Daily make the choice to break other kinds of ‘rackets’ with our rage. Because if we did anything else the consequences would be unbearable.