Disclaimer: There is never a justification for violence. This post is just an opinion on why some black women supported Will Smith's actions.
On Sunday, March 27, 2022, the peaceful, non-cussing rapper Will Smith strongly whipped his hand across comedian Chris Rock's face. Some were mortified; some thought the action was justice, and then others blamed Jada Pinkett-Smith for not telling Will Smith to "Saaat Down!" Whatever the reaction, on social media, one could discover black women rallying and supporting Will Smith's response even after Will expressed remorse shortly after.
The support of some black women could derive from the solemn belief of Malcolm X's famous quote, "The most disrespected person in America is the Black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the Black woman. The most neglected person is America is the Black Woman".
For centuries black women have been forced to grin and bear it. They are labeled strong for taking on more than they can handle. They are misdiagnosed because society believes they can endure the pain. They are mocked and objectified by other cultures even though they are secretly the prototype.
Black women hold down their families without expecting credit. They are ridiculed for expressing any emotion besides happiness. They must keep on a brave face in public and cry in private. They are the pioneers behind many businesses, and their creativeness tends to land in someone else's lap. To be taken serious, black women have to work 500 times harder than absolutely everyone.
Although I, too, do not condone violence, the context behind that slap in the face was a public display of black women being protected. Jada Pinkett-Smith did not have to grin and bear another joke about a disease she had openly discussed. One could assume she did not hold back her husband because she was unaware of his future actions, or maybe at that moment, she did not feel the need. But what will always resonate with black women that day, is that they are worth protecting.
You don't want to take my word for it. Let's see how some women celebrities felt about the situation.
-"There is only so much one can take… sometimes you have to slap back. Celebrate the win… nothing else matters. Both actions were incorrect, but Chris didn't need to go there." -Janet Huber
-"You just got to witness in real-time what happens in a man's soul when he looks over to the woman he loves & sees her holding back tears from a "little joke" at her expense. This is what any & every real man feels in that instant. while y'all seeing the joke he's seeing her
pain." -Nicki Minaj
-"A man big enough to absolutely floor him slapped him softly enough that Chris barely moved because he made fun of his wife's alopecia on a world stage. Don't say #protectBlackwomen for two years and then only condemn Will here. Come on…". -Jameela Jamil
"I think Chris was messy. As a woman who had a husb, I wish my husb would have stood up 4 me the way (Will) stood up for (Jada)," - Tiffany Haddish
Posted by : Laydie Fluent
Written by : Renita Betts CEO and Founder of "Be Your Own Kind" Podcast
IG: @Be_yourownkind
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