She Did That! Naomi Osaka
Tennis superstar Naomi Osaka, a four-time grand slam winner, dominated her opponents in the 2021 Australian Open representing her latest victory. On top of being an athletic phenom, Osaka is branching out as a social justice advocate who is also making waves in the fashion world.
Born in Japan, Osaka is the biracial daughter of a Haitian-born father and a Japanese mother. At age 3, the family left Japan and moved to Long Island, where they lived with her Haitian grandparents.
Osaka’s father, Leonard Francois, trained her using tips and techniques from books and DVDs. He was also inspired by Serena Williams’ father, Richard Williams.
Osaka found her social justice voice at the 2020 US Open Tennis Championships by wearing the names of African American victims who died from racial injustice and police brutality on her face masks. It was a subtle but poignant way of standing up for those victims.
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Her rising stardom has now crossed over to fashion, where she’s signed numerous deals, including a partnership with luxury brands Louis Vuitton and Tag Heuer.
As BET continues to celebrate Women's History Month, we celebrate young Black women "who did that" like Naomi Osaka who speak for the voiceless in more ways than one.
