Serena Williams’ Media Influence: Gender, Race, and Identity
Serena Williams is the greatest American female tennis player of all time. Not to mention, she is honest and outspoken when it comes to issues regarding women in and outside of the sports world as conveyed through her media presence, and more particularly issues regarding women of color such as herself. She holds a media relationship with many of her followers, meaning that people feel connected to her through her media presence for the issues that she advocates. Her leadership details a broader cultural matter whereas black people have access to and are avatars of individualism through sports.
On July 31, 2017, an article written by Serena was published in Fortune magazine in honor of Black Women’s Equal Pay Day. The article consists of a short recollection of her early life growing up as a black woman and the impact that injustice has on the “24 million black women in America” (Williams). Williams voices, “Most black women across our country do not have the same support that I did, and so they often don’t speak out about what is just, fair and appropriate in the workplace. When they do, they are often punished for it” (Williams). In the same magazine/online post, Williams calls out other sources of injustice all stemming from political injustices such as gender pay inequality, poverty, discrimination, racism, and sexism. The same powerful words and meanings relayed through both her story and media presence reinforce that American meritocracy is a myth.
Williams is also the focal point of some sports commercials designed as motivational advertising content. In Nike’s commercial “Dream Crazier” Serena observes, “If we (women) show emotion, we’re called dramatic. If we want to play against men, we’re nuts. And if we dream of equal opportunity, delusional. When we stand for something, we’re unhinged” (Nike). Unfortunately, in the broken society we are living in, her observation holds true. Women are often labeled as being crazy for feeling emotion towards or doing something that men are easily and freely able to achieve. We often experience in both sports and life the gender stereotypes around emotion, and how society criticizes the idea of showing normal human emotions across all genders. As seen in the advertisement, women are often criticized as being dramatic for having emotion. On the contrary and from personal experience, men are called weak for having emotion. However, there are so many things wrong with that type of thinking. Such gender stereotypes of emotion prevent women from ascending to leadership roles, instill the traits of toxic masculinity in men, and above all counteract any idea of equality. Women and men are equal and need to be perceived and treated as such in order to work toward a constructive society. Sport is no different; women deserve the freedom to compete in terms of equality, and her motivational presence in Nike’s commercial delivers that message to a wide audience. I learned that the more influential commercials contained less ad content and more motivational content through the use of inspirational words and figures, such as Williams, to produce a message.
In a cover article for the New York Times magazine titled, “The Meaning of Serena Williams: On Tennis and Black Excellence,” there is a discussion that directly relates to the justified rights of women and in the same context the existing racism against those of color. Serena says that she is in the position that she is in because, as she states, “I’m just about winning” (The Meaning). However, in the same manner of excellence, she is upfront when it comes to addressing disrespectful or unjust behavior. “The word ‘win’ finds its roots in both joy and grace. Serena’s grace comes because she won’t be forced into stillness; she won’t accept those racist projections onto her body without speaking back; she won’t go gently into the white light of victory. Her excellence doesn’t mask the struggle it takes to achieve each win. For black people, there is an unspoken script that demands the humble absorption of racist assaults, no matter the scale, because whites need to believe that it’s no big deal. But Serena refuses to keep to that script. Somehow, along the way, she made a decision to be excellent while still being Serena” (The Meaning). In the opening paragraphs, Williams is described as being excellent in what she does and the role model she embodies. She really has built a media and social progressive presence in the profession of sport and fights the good fight against racial stereotypes. Black excellence is a mindset and one that she backs with continuous support through various media platforms to correct wrong and progress forward.
Furthermore, Serena collectively promotes her stance and supports her view on issues of racial and gender inequality through her Instagram page. She exercises her partnership with Nike to “amplify the voices of women athletes,” and does so in an effective way to both share personal experiences and promote the brand Nike (Instagram). Nike benefits from her support of diversity and advertised culture of inclusivity. For example, the Nike Athlete Think Tank is an example of sponsored content, or “a form of advertising that looks like editorial content” (Hobbs). Nike’s tank top is advertised in conjunction with Serena’s post regarding the next, driven generation of women athletes. Williams also emphasizes the importance of women supporting women, calling it a movement to drive change. Another brand Williams promotes in a similar fashion is the collection of dresses created by Best Dressed. She effectively reassures her audience that the dresses are “inspired by strong women and our ability to show up as our best selves, always” (Instagram). This line of dresses exemplifies how Serena employs ‘femvertising,’ or “marketing campaigns that empower women and girls,” to develop her products (Hobbs). Finally, she supports other women in sports on her Instagram page. For example, Simone Biles is another great name in sports and is regarded as one of the best gymnasts in the world. Serena’s powerful presence and identity shine again as she highlights Simone’s success on her personal Instagram page as well as encourages her strength as a black woman in sports.
The historical and cultural impact Serena has on the world as an outspoken, inspirational black female athlete influences the way I interpret her presence and have developed a respect for her as a public figure. She is especially influential to those whose stories intersect with hers, and grows a presence in what she stands for to make a difference in matters of racism and sexism. In my own life, I hear and empathize with the injustices she advocates. As a woman, I am familiar with the existence of gender stereotypes and, more specifically, the inequality women face in the workplace. Personally, in my freshman year of college, I attended Bridgewater State University for their aviation/flight program. I came to the realization in my second semester of the program that, in a male-dominated area, the low percentage of women in that program was no coincidence. The many struggles and lack of growth the other women and I experienced throughout the program were because we were receiving different treatment compared to our male counterparts. I tried to keep my head up and brush it off, however by the second semester I was throwing money at a program that postponed women from advancing in it. In summary, gender inequality exists. Williams’ strategic choice to make her voice heard on such immense issues through magazine publications, televised advertisements, and personal social media accounts also demonstrate her ability as an effective communicator to transmit a message and make a difference.
Fortune Serena Williams: How Black Women Can Close the Pay Gap
Works Cited
Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/serenawilliams/.
Nike — Dream Crazier | #Justdoit — Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWfX5jeF6k4.
“The Meaning of Serena Williams” by Claudia Rankine. “‘The Meaning of Serena Williams: On Tennis and Black Excellence.’” Good Black News, https://goodblacknews.org/tag/the-meaning-of-serena-williams-on-tennis-and-black-excellence/.
Williams, Serena. “Serena Williams: How Black Women Can Close the Pay Gap.” Fortune, Fortune, 31 July 2017, https://fortune.com/2017/07/31/serena-williams-black-women-equal-pay/.
