The Double Standards Behind the Accusation.
By: Beautiful Truth | Culture Check | September 18, 2025
Disclosure: This commentary was originally published on NewsBreak. I’ve chosen to republish it here on Truth Reign Unfiltered so it can live without platform filters, edits, shadow bans, or bias.
SUMMARY
BuzzFeed reports that Serena Williams is once again facing public scrutiny after posting selfies showing a slimmer, more toned frame many claimed means she is “trying to be White.” But this isn’t just about Serena — it’s part of a pattern.
TODAY’S TRUTH
“Why do White Americans care so much about what black women do?”
White America has been borrowing from black culture for as long as we have existed. From our music to our style, from the way we speak to the food we make, we’ve created the blueprint. And time after time, those same creations are stripped from us, rebranded, and sold back to the world without our name on them. We innovate — they imitate.
This was never just about hair or body shape. For us as black people — myself included — it has never been about appearance, but about how they try to control our every move. The problem is, their words rarely match their actions. Their language is only a cover for something much bigger. They can dress it up as aesthetics or standards all they want, but putting lipstick on a pig doesn’t make it anything other than a pig. At the end of the day, it isn’t about beauty or presentation — it’s about power.
“They say imitation is the highest form of flattery — but flattery feels hollow when it comes with erasure.”
UNFILTERED UPDATE
Serena herself recently spoke out in an exclusive with People, confirming that she chose to use a GLP-1 weight-loss medication after diet and exercise alone weren’t enough. She lost over 31 pounds and said the treatment helped her feel physically lighter and mentally stronger. For her, this wasn’t about bending to outside pressure — it was about doing what worked for her body and her health.
And that’s the point. Serena’s weight loss wasn’t a performance for the public. It was a choice for herself, her health, and her peace of mind. The problem is, people keep confusing her personal journey with their expectations of her body. She doesn’t owe anyone a role in their story of strength or symbolism — she owes herself the freedom to live how she chooses.
Let me be perfectly clear — this has nothing to do with Serena Williams wanting to be White. Changing our hair has always been part of who we are as black women, something I know from my own life. It’s self-expression, creativity, and versatility — not a surrender of identity.
Make no mistake — White people didn’t create fairness. What they created, perfected, and practically patented was the double standard. They will criticize us relentlessly, then turn around and praise the same things when they come from them. We’re called ghetto for speaking in our natural rhythms, but when those same cadences are echoed by White influencers, it’s suddenly trendy and authentic.
And let me sit this right here — Jordan Peele’s Get Out wasn’t just a horror film. It was a mirror. A warning. A metaphor for how White America consumes blackness — craving our physicality, talent, and essence, but wanting it detached from us. That’s what this feels like: not just borrowing, but rewriting the origin story, erasing the source, and keeping the profit.
Not all movies are made for entertainment. Even during slavery, our people had to become creative with words and actions — singing psalms, spirituals, and coded songs as tools of survival and escape. Peele’s film, in my opinion, is cut from that same cloth. It’s not just storytelling; it’s a reminder to be careful about who you align yourself with, and a warning about what lies beneath the surface.
And that brings me back to Serena. Somehow, Serena was celebrated when she fit their approved image of dominance in sports. Now that she’s chosen a new chapter, they question if she still belongs.
The burden of being watched, judged, and second-guessed for every choice is one that black women know all too well.
So maybe the question isn’t why Serena made the choices she did. The real question is why does White America care so much when we make them?
They want the joy without the suffering, the product without the people, the culture without the context.
“They want our rhythm, but not our blues.“
— Black Southern Proverb
Thank you all for reading–not just for opinions, but for principle, fairness, and clarity.
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Truth Reign Unfiltered is an independent commentary platform that shines light where others stay quiet. All content published represents protected speech under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. Opinions expressed are based on publicly available information, cited sources, and personal analysis.
I do not publish to defame—but to inform, challenge, and encourage critical thought. Accountability is not hatred. Truth is not defamation. And silence is never my strategy.