Naomi Osaka & Allyson Felix Time's Olympic Preview Issue

Source: Williams + Hirakawa / Time

Black female athletes have been making a lot of noise in the media lately and for a good reason. Whether it’s standing up to the media like Serena Williams, opting out of competitive obligations to manage your mental health like Naomi Osaka, or prioritizing motherhood over a huge Nike endorsement like Allyson Felix, these powerful women are exercising their voices in an inspirational way.

Just a few weeks ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, Time Magazine is releasing a special issue that highlights mental health with a personal essay by Naomi Osaka. The tennis champion dives into her first Olympics experience, why the sports world needs to change, and the importance of prioritizing mental health.

Naomi on prioritizing mental health:

“The world is as divided now as I can remember in my short 23 years. Issues that are so obvious to me at face value, like wearing a mask in a pandemic or kneeling to show support for antiracism, are ferociously contested. I mean, wow. So, when I said I needed to miss French Open press conferences to take care of myself mentally, I should have been prepared for what unfolded.”

“I felt under a great amount of pressure to disclose my symptoms—frankly because the press and the tournament did not believe me. I also do not want to have to engage in scrutiny of my personal medical history ever again. So I ask the press for some level of privacy and empathy next time we meet…. I do hope that people can relate and understand it’s okay to not be okay, and it’s okay to talk about it.”

Source: Djeneba Aduayom / Time

Famed Olympic sprinter Allyson Felix used her voice in a powerful way when she spoke up against the brand that discriminated against her over maternity protection. After working with Nike for almost a decade, she left them to partner with woman-centered retailer Athleta. Once Nike suggested a 70% pay cut and denied her requests for maternity protection, Felix knew it was time to part ways with the brand.

“Nike, sometimes, they feel like you don’t have another option. So they can get away with stuff like that because where are you going to go? And I think that’s how I was always perceived: ‘She’s never going to say anything. She’s never going to speak out,’” Felix told Time.

Despite her experience with Nike, Felix continues to make a name for herself. Just 10-months following her emergency c-section, she showed the strength of a woman when she broke Usain Bolt’s gold medal record at the World Athletics Championships.

Felix proves that motherhood doesn’t have to halt your dreams, and Osaka shows us the power of putting yourself first. You can read the rest of Osaka’s essay and Felix’s interview here.

31 History-Making Black Women Celebrities