BADASS WOMEN OF COLOR WHO ARE CHANGING THE GAME
By Cristin Van Horn
Last year kicked off right, when the Red Sox organization hired the first Black female coach in professional baseball. Bianca Smith, 29 is now a Minor League coach, but has no plans on stopping there! Smith aspires to be a Major League coach before her career is through. 2021 still has a lot of work to do, but damn this feels good!
Naomi Osaka, who won her 4th major tennis title The Australian Open last year, is nothing short of a phenom. The 23 year old isn’t only a beast on the clay, but she continues to be a voice of female empowerment and an activist for Black Lives. In 2020, while playing the U.S. Open, she wore seven different masks, all highlighting Black victims of police brutality. This rockstar is certainly using her platform to empower and inspire!
Nneka Ogwumike isn’t just a WNBA champion, six-time All-Star, and an MVP, this Los Angeles Sparks Forward is using her voice for social justice and change! Ogwumike, 30, who also happens to be the President of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association who fought for a pay increase in 2019, spent the majority of 2020 using her platform to spread awareness about the importance of voting, especially in Black communities. She continues to be the voice and face of the WNBA.
Jennifer King, 36, has become the first Black female full-time coach in the NFL, when the Washington Football Team promoted her to assistant running back coach this past year. They may still need to find a better name, but we are thrilled they got the memo about #BlackGirlMagic
If you haven’t heard about the UCLA gymnastics team yet, we forgive you, but you are probably living under a rock! The next two women are not only inspiring us with their amazing moves, but they are using their sport to shed light on the importance of representation.
Margzetta Frazier, who’s floor routine went viral a last year, crushed it with her fun and fierce choreography to Janet Jackson. Janet Jackson herself gave the amazing young woman a FaceTime call to commend her on her skill, grace, and excellence! WHATTT… a FaceTime from JANET JACKSON!! YES YES YES
Nia Dennis, another UCLA gymnast, broke the internet after her January 2021 performance “Black Excellence”. Using her talents and unique platform to talk about Black culture, representation, and being a Black woman, certainly impressed the judges, and even gained the attention of former First Lady, Michelle Obama! Dennis is a perfect example how activism is not one size fits all, and even if your platform is leotards and tumbling, you can still turn heads and expand minds!