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Oppression In Women

Decent Essays

Oppression is perpetuated in our society through supremacy and discrimination. Women of color have been subjected to the justifications of unfair treatment from their oppressors— both male and female— for generations and are expected to identify with misconceived definitions that have been externally attributed to their own realities. There is an immense pressure on the women of color who have broken out of the cycle of this socioeconomic imprisonment to maintain their standing within society 's good graces. This is often discussed as though these women have something to hide, as though a friendly and modest demeanor are enough to erase the layers of transgenerational trauma from sight of the very same oppressors that caused it. At the …show more content…

Claudia Rankine, an award-winning poet and essayist who 's work often revolves around racial themes, wrote an article for The New York Times in 2015 entitled "The Meaning of Serena Williams." Both pieces mention Williams ' comfortability within her own skin. Both pieces accurately convey the ability she has to bend situations to her will and thrive under circumstances of her own creation. However, Rodrick takes on an underlying tone of critical commentary whereas Rankine uses one of comradery and empowerment. Throughout his writing, Rodrick makes Williams ' out to be someone who has completely bought into materialism and has a knack for self-indulging gluttony. Zeroing in on irrelevant comments about her lifestyle (such as her excitement to get her nails done and her unenthusiastic response to being reminded about morning practice) Rodrick writes, "No athlete alive dominates a sport like Serena Williams does tennis. But on the whole, she 'd rather be eating a cinnamon roll" (Rodrick). In context, a comment like this serves to police and shame her unrestricted nutritional choices. His writing lacks perspective and, although he does occasionally intersperse tidbits of factual information into his dearth narrative, he tends to do so in a scathingly dismissive way. Rankine does not trivialize Williams '

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