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We Have All Been Venus Williams: How White Feminism invalidates Black Women

Whitney Alese
ZORA
Published in
5 min readMar 17, 2022
Venus Williams at the 2022 Critics Choice Awards

Venus’s face said it all.

It’s a face a lot of Black Women have made when the accomplishments we have made, often in spite of all of the obstacles we’ve faced are dashed by White Women while simultaneously illuminating their own accomplishments.

So much for “sisterhood”.

Jane Campion, while accepting her award during the recent Critics Choice Awards, managed to take time to diminish the abundant and history shattering achievements the Williams Sisters have accomplished. In the short precious moment those who are privileged enough to win such honors have before their peers and the would, Campion proves everything wrong with White Feminism.

Campion’s speech started off well enough. She expressed how grateful she was to be in the presence of “so many incredible women,” praising Halle Berry’s #SeeHer Award acceptance speech followed by addressing Venus and Serena, expressing what “an honor” it was to be in the same room as them. Immediately, Campion’s speech took a turn.

“I’d also just like to give my love out to my fellow — the guys — the nominees,” Campion said, highlighting that she was the sole female nominee in the entire Best Director category, a subject worth noting.

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ZORA
ZORA

Published in ZORA

A publication from Medium that centers the stories, poetry, essays and thoughts of women of color.

Whitney Alese
Whitney Alese

Written by Whitney Alese

Whitney Alese is an award winning writer & creator featured in WIRED Magazine, I-D Magazine, NBC, & Chalkboard Magazine.

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