Actress and social justice advocate Gabrielle Union is telling people to read an article in Elle — and then to read it again. Saying it spoke to “her soul,” Union is trumpeting the work of Brittany Packnett, who took one GIANT lesson from the big Serena Williams U.S. Open kerfuffle. Packnett heard Williams, standing her ground as solidly as ever, demand an apology from chair umpire Carlos Ramos.
This article speaks to my soul. Thank you!!! Please it and then read it again! Whew https://t.co/98ZcLlmKhZ
— Gabrielle Union (@itsgabrielleu) September 13, 2018
What struck Packnett, an African American woman, most on hearing Serena’s words was this: Packnett herself, in all her 33 years, had never said the same. Serena said: “You owe me an apology.” Those words had power and righteousness and moral clarity behind them, they had grief and fairness and justice in them, and Packnett’s realization that she’d never demanded the same occasioned deep consideration — about the circumstances that made her silent, despite numerous times when she clearly was owed an apology. Packnett explores for the rest of us why she didn’t demand it.
Reading Packnett’s article, one knows this situation won’t continue. Something tells us Gabrielle Union has demanded apologies before, but by sharing Packnett’s article Union is helping others to demand what they are owed. Packnett writes, seemingly half-incredulous about this discovery herself, that she just “never believed I deserved to demand one [an apology].” This from a woman who is teaching at Harvard this fall. Where does that leave the rest of those owed apologies, those who aren’t Gabrielle Union and Brittney Packnett? That’s why they’re sharing their thoughts and demands now, to help others to a better place.
“You owe me an apology!”
Serena was fired up with the official in the final set of the US Open final. pic.twitter.com/r6RSbrirnV
— ESPN (@espn) September 8, 2018
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