Opinion: Will African-American Female Leadership Move Into the Spotlight in 2018?

It’s kind of a pattern. In tangled tales of the intersection of racism and sexism, women of color are depended upon for the hard work but pushed aside for recognition.

Michelle Obama Cuts Donald Trump Down to Size

Michelle Obama is a powerful voice to have in your corner. She is a singular presence who is — at the same time — Everywoman. But if you get on her bad side, if you demonstrate with word and deed that you disrespect the people and things she cares about, watch out.

In Manchester, New Hampshire, on Thursday, a campaign appearancefor Hillary Clinton became much more. But I’m sure Clinton didn’t mind. The first lady, with raw and visible emotion, put into words what many have been feeling since a cascade of revelations, video tapes and recorded conversations filled in any possible blanks on the character of Donald Trump, on his treatment of — and judgments about — women.

So the Republican Party Finally Gets Trump?

So all of a sudden his party gets it? When Trump was rushing to personally insult Hillary Clinton — whether it was her “look” or her stamina or what goes on in her marriage and why she is to blame — that was fine. Republicans were lining up for an “Attaboy.”

It took the mental image of their own child and/or spouse looking up to, or perhaps being in a room alone with, a man who casually chats about groping women against their will — labeled sexual assault in criminal codes — before GOP leaders could see the light and decide that harsh criticism, not lukewarm justification, was warranted?

Marion Bartoli, Wimbledon champ and ‘daddy’s girl,’ wins on and off the court

The worst part of the BBC radio announcer’s takedown of the newly crowned Wimbledon women’s champ? He put his own ugly words in her father’s mouth.

Choosing French player Marion Bartoli’s moment of triumph to attack her non-blondness, John Inverdale showed true cowardice when he said: “Do you think Bartoli’s dad told her when she was little, ‘You’re never going to be a looker? You’ll never be a [Maria] Sharapova, so you have to be scrappy and fight.’”

He said this while Bartoli was rushing to the spectator’s box to her father, Dr. Walter Bartoli, who taught her to play. Dad later said, “I am not angry. She is my beautiful daughter. The relationship between Marion and me has always been unbelievable, so I don’t know what this reporter is talking about.”

And Marion Bartoli’s classy response? “It doesn’t matter, honestly. I am not blonde, yes. That is a fact. Have I dreamt about having a model contract? No. I’m sorry,” she said. “But have I dreamed about winning Wimbledon? Absolutely, yes.”