As a black woman, you can say, "Nah."

As a black woman, the eve gene carriers, the oppressed of the oppressed, it’s time to start saying “Nah’. Nothing offends, outrages, and disrupts whiteness and patriarchy like a black woman saying no, excusing herself from that which doesn’t serve her, or simply speaking up for herself. During the 2021 Grand Slam, Naomi Osaka made the decision to excuse herself from doing press, citing “I’ve often felt that people have no regard for athletes mental health and this rings very true whenever I see a press conference or partake in one.” In essence, Naomi said, “Nah.” When she was fined $ 15,000 and eventually became a major talking point of the games, Osaka opted to withdraw from the tournament. Left, right, and center, sports commentators, talking heads, and the like sought to trivialize her not wanting to do press, when in truth, she was merely taking care of her mental wellbeing. 

Recently, Simon Biles withdrew from the women’s all-around final of the 2021 Olympics. Earlier in the week, Simon scratched after attempting a two-and-a-half twisting vault. While she notes that her primary rationale for withdrawing was to ensure that she didn’t cost the US team a medal, she also noted the importance of protecting her own mental health. Granted, while Simone was graceful in her message of withdrawal, the agent of chaos in my mind interpreted this as a bold act of saying “Nah.” 

In 2021, we’re seeing women in sport go against the grain, norm, and standard of athletes being subjected to harsh working conditions that negatively affect their mental wellness. Harvard graduate and Twitter user, Tre recently shared online, “Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka are asserting the significance of their mental health in a world that has always privileged the physicality and athleticism of black bodies above the welfare of our minds and emotions.” 

While celebrities or public figures doing something doesn’t necessarily suggest everything will change, it does redirect the conversation.However, one point must be driven home, it’s okay for black women to say, “Nah”.