sports
Does Sophie Cunningham benefit from white privilege? Of course she does
One of the player’s WNBA rivals said the Fever guard is treated differently from her Black peers. There’s plenty of evidence to back that statement up
TL;DR
- DiJonai Carrington, a Black WNBA player, was ejected for a Flagrant 2 foul, leading her to post 'WHITE PRIVILEGE' on social media.
- Sophie Cunningham, a white player, committed a similar Flagrant 2 foul in a previous season.
- While Carrington's foul was framed as dangerous, Cunningham's was often interpreted as toughness, leading to increased marketability and endorsements.
- Politicians and commentators reacted differently to the incidents, with Florida's attorney general threatening assault charges for hard fouls, a response not seen when Cunningham committed her foul.
- The article posits that white privilege lies in the interpretation of actions: aggression being seen as toughness for white players, while similar actions by Black players are viewed as hostility or danger.
- The author suggests examining headlines and social media reactions to comparable fouls based on the race of the players involved to understand the extent of this privilege.