It’s been a rough few days for the racists and bigots who thought Caitlin Clark was one of them.
Clark initially said she recognized there is an element of white privilege in his celebritythat the black women who laid the foundation for this current explosion of interest in women’s sports have never enjoyed a spotlight as bright and intense as the one that shines on her. Then, when conservative crank Megyn Kelly criticized him for saying that, Clark doubled the bet.
“I feel like I deserved everything that happened to me during my career. But also, I grew up as a fan of this league from a very young age,” Clark said Wednesday when asked about Kelly’s comments.
“My favorite player was Maya Moore. I know what this league is about.
For those who don’t know, Moore was transcendent in her run through the WNBA, leading the Minnesota Lynx to four titles in seven years and earning MVP honors in the regular season (2014) and finals of the WNBA. WNBA (2013). Add in her Olympic gold medals, titles and player of the year honors at UConn, and she’s probably the best there has ever been.
But Moore’s impact went beyond the court as a cornerstone of the WNBA’s social justice efforts. She and the Lynx were among the first athletes to protest racist policing of Black and Brown people, and she retired early to work on overturn the wrongful conviction of the man who is now her husband.
Clark has often spoken about the influence Moore had on her, and it’s clear she wasn’t just talking about the field.
“Like I said, (the WNBA) has only been around for over 25 years. I know there have been so many amazing black women who have participated in this league, and I think it’s very important to continue to uplift them. It’s something I’m very aware of,” Clark told Maria Taylor during an interview at the “A Year in TIME” event. Clark was the magazine’s athlete of the year.
Few athletes, especially at a young age, can be as thoughtful and as direct as LeBron James and the United States women’s national soccer team in speaking out against hatred and the marginalization of minorities. This seemed to include Clark during the season, whose criticisms of racism and homophobia leveled at other WNBA players by some people claiming to be her fans often only came up when she was asked directly about this. subject.
But if these thugs, like the woman who wrote Clark’s number on the paper talons she wore to a playoff game to mock black players, thought they had Clark’s tacit approval, they now realize how wrong they are. The same goes for those who thought Clark was too naive to understand why what was done and said in her name was so problematic.
She saw him. All of this. And she wants no part of it.
“I mean I’ve won everything, but as a white person there’s privilege,” Clark told TIME in player of the year story. “A lot of players in the league who have been very good have been black players. This league was kind of built on them. The more we can appreciate that, highlight it, talk about it, and then continue to make sure that brands and companies invest in the players that have made this league amazing, I think that’s very important.
“I have to keep trying to change that,” she added. “The more we can uplift black women, it will be a beautiful thing.”
This is not “self-flagellation,” as Kelly sneered. It’s not “condescending” or “wrong.” This is a young woman who recognizes that while, yes, she has worked hard to get where she is and deserves all the attention she deserves, she is also the beneficiary of an American society that continues to give primacy to white people.
People like Kelly, and unfortunately there are many like her these days, seem to think that recognizing this is a character flaw. If they recognize the existence of privilege, it means that they do not deserve what they have accomplished. While they claim privilege is real, they are not as exceptional as they think.
Which could very well be true!
But privilege is simply the recognition that if you’re white, male, or appear cisgender, society subconsciously puts you one step ahead. This is why a white person can walk into a store and be greeted with a smile, while a black person is followed around. This is why a man is considered capable of doing a job and a woman is considered unqualified, no matter what her resume says. This is why a person who appears straight can live their life without judgment while a gay or transgender person has their body and personal life monitored.
This is why a straight white woman, capable of overturning the 3 logo at will, is celebrated and black women, just as talented and charismatic, play in the shadows. Especially black women who are also LGBTQ.
Women’s basketball is already better for Caitlin Clark. His comments this week indicate that the world will be too. While this might outrage Kelly and some other of his so-called fans, it will make Moore proud.
Follow USA TODAY sports columnist Nancy Armor on social media @nrarmour.
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This article was originally published on USA TODAY: Caitlin Clark recognizes white privilege. The WNBA star owes no apology
