Written by Hannah Duffy
We’ve all heard Deion Sanders’ famous quote, “If you look good, you feel good, and if you feel good, you play good.”
For Black women, these words resonate with us and are always in the back of our minds as we go about our daily lives.
For Black women, fashion is more than just self-expression; it’s a direct reflection of who we are and what makes us most confident.
Black trailblazers like Michelle Obama have become the standard for Black women around the world.
Instead of focusing on her husband becoming the first African-American president, media attention quickly shifted to her fashion choices.
When I say fashion choices, I mean everything from her hairstyle to her outfit.
For decades, we’ve been ridiculed for our style choices, so this is nothing new, especially for women who don’t have the stature of Michelle Obama.
When I look at women like Sydney Carter, an assistant coach for the women’s basketball team at Texas A&M University, I realize she faces the same challenges.
In February 2022, Carter went viral on social media after posting an outfit on Instagram that consisted of pink pants, tan heels, and a white turtleneck.
The photo’s caption read, “They want that heat and I’m the only provider.” – Nicki Minaj Pink? For the 22nd game. ”
For Coach Carter, the outfit was nothing out of the ordinary. Every game day, her outfit is top notch.
She had a distaste for costumes, but it was deeper than that.
When people see women, especially women of color, being successful and confident in their work, they can easily feel intimidated.
I believe her costume represents a bigger picture and has a deeper meaning, especially for young black girls. It’s about all black girls and women showing their potential.
Oftentimes, as Black women, we are constantly degraded in every aspect of our lives. In the classroom, in the workforce, in politics, and now on the other side as a basketball coach.
Every day feels like a battle where you have to prove yourself to earn the respect of your opponent.
The pressure is on every day because so many people expect us to fail.
So when we see someone like Coach Carter wearing these outfits and looking like a female boss, it not only gives us hope, but it also gives us encouragement.
In an interview conducted by Glamor, Coach Carter said, “I’m not going to turn off the lights just because someone is going to be offended or threatened by the fact that I hug myself.” “I wasn’t trying to break any barriers. At the end of the day, I wasn’t trying to set a trend. I just wanted to be myself.”
LSU women’s basketball head coach Kim Mulkey is also a fashion icon in the eyes of many.
But the most notable difference is that she receives no backlash for her clothing choices.
And to be completely honest, Coach Mulkey’s outfit is much more “outlandish” than Carter’s.
As previously mentioned, this hostility is not uncommon for the black community, especially black athletes on the other side of fashion and hairstyles.
I remember growing up watching the Olympics and seeing black female runners like Sanya Richards Ross.
One thing I always noticed, even as a young girl, was how authentically she was, wearing sewn clothes, having long nails, and a face with makeup on. .
Yes, she received a lot of hate, but she was an example to many who continued to be themselves regardless of the noise outside.
She made it feel normal, especially for women of color, to want to have nails, hair, and makeup done when playing sports.
Protective style in particular is part of our identity. A practical hairstyle perfect for an active lifestyle.
It is also another fashion identity piece that makes us feel like ourselves.
It gives me hope and encouragement that people like Michelle Obama, Sidney Carter, and Sanith Richards Ross are trailblazers.
When you wear a pantsuit, you suddenly feel like you’re making a mark on this world, like Michelle Obama or Coach Carter. Competing in sports, getting your nails, hair, and makeup done, you suddenly feel like Sanya Richards Ross and unstoppable.
Women like these are the ones who make this scary world feel less scary.
Michelle Obama once said, “There are no limits to what we women can accomplish.”
