Kim Mulkey and the LSU Lady Tigers

Even in the realm of sports, black women are always dealt the short stick through the lenses of a society built on the oppression of minorities. During this year’s Women’s March Madness basketball tournament, the majority black team of the Louisiana State Tigers fell victim to a discrimination piece written by LA Times writer Ben Bolch. In his article published on March 29th, 2024, titled “UCLA vs. LSU is America’s Sweethearts vs. its basketball villains” Bolch compared and contrasted the UCLA Lady Bruins to the LSU Tigers framing one as this precious, respectable, and overtly “innocent” team facing off against the rude, controversial, and overall villainous team of LSU. he even went as far as to refer to LSUs women’s basketball team as “Dirty Debutants”. After its publication, the article sent the internet into a frenzy prompting much-needed discussion around race in women’s sports which ultimately resulted in parts of the article being redacted, and Bolch and the LA Times releasing statements of apologies. However, an apology will never be enough when it comes to an issue surrounding race. Bolch and the LA Times tried to craft a narrative of good vs. evil in the mask of black vs. white which shouldn’t be the topic of discussion during a women’s basketball game. The LSU women’s basketball team has stayed in sports media in a negative spotlight due to their competitive nature and it ultimately is a parallel to the society we live in. You have players such as Caitlin Clark and Paige Buekers who are known to be consistent trash talkers on the courts, however, they received no negative or controversial spotlight when the LSU team (who again is majority black) had the same reactions but they are essentially burned at the stake is pretty telling. Even in sports, a unifying factor that brings people together from all over, there still is not a moment that goes by when a black woman is cast in a villainous light being subjected to the cycle of 400 years of discrimination that we do not have the power to break.