The Saga of Naomi Osaka Naomi Osaka
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TPA TEXAS PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION This paper can www.TheAustinVillager.com be recycled Vol. 47 No. 44 Phone: 512-476-0082 Email: [email protected] June 4, 2021 MIC DROP! The Saga of INSIDE Naomi Osaka Fan and Athlete interaction is RAPPIN’ getting out of hand. Thomas Wyatt See AT ODDS Page 3 Speak Your VENUS WILLIAMS Truth (Photo: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) by Biba Adams year-old phenom an- I must say, this has The GRIO nounced she would pri- been an interesting week. oritize her mental health You got the Osaka saga. (GRIO) - In a press and take some time You got the NBA fans out- conference after a first- away from the tennis Jack and Jill of-control melee. You got round loss to Russia’s court. honor brilliant the scandalous GOP vot- When Williams, 40, scholars. ing rights fiasco. You got Ekaterina Alexandrova See BEAUTILLION the Trump website drop- at the French Open, ten- was asked Tuesday Page 4 ping off into the abyss. nis legend Venus Will- about how she manages Naomi Osaka iams gave an epic re- her own experiences And there’s even more (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images) scurrilous stuff that Sena- sponse to a question with the press, she re- tor Marjorie Greene is up about star player Naomi plied, “For me person- OPINION: by Stephanie Guerilus to that won’t even get an Osaka. ally, how I cope, how I honorable mention in this Osaka, a four-time deal with it, was that I (GRIO) - Four-time Grand Slam tennis phenom week’s column. Grand Slam winner, know every single per- Naomi Osaka put herself first—becoming more of SB 7 hinders son asking me a ques- a hero for prioritizing her mental health and antago- But I do want to fo- withdrew from the tour- voting efforts by cus on a forementioned tion can’t play as well as nizing those who hate when women exercise their nament Monday after Black churches. topic, though. I can and never will. So, agency. Especially Black women who have the nerve being fined $15,000 for See IMPACT The Osaka drama. I no matter what you say to do so. skipping a mandatory Page 6 don’t know what’s going post-match press confer- or what you write, you’ll Japan’s Osaka announced last week that she | http://austintexas.gov/ on with the young lady. ence. She revealed that never light a candle to wouldn’t be doing any press interviews at the 2021 FACTS THE GET I’m not sure if depression she has depression and me.” French Open for the sake of her mental health. She is the driving factor or if said press events trigger “That’s how I deal found athletes subjecting themselves to post-match she just doesn’t want to anxiety. Instead of con- with it,” she added. “But Q&As similar to “kicking a person while they were talk to the press. I’m not down.” Knowing she’d be fined for reneging on this | forming to the rules of each person deals with it SELF-ASSESSMENT a woman either, so my the tournament, the 23- differently.” obligation, Osaka hoped that money would be do- knowledge of her inner nated to mental health charities. workings is beyond ex- Kamala Harris to lead Osaka is arguably one of the franchise players tremely limited. in tennis, reportedly earning a historic $55 million But I do know this: White House efforts to in 2020. The Japanese-Haitian superstar is a box The young lady has a plat- office draw. Still, she didn’t flex and dictate diva protect voting rights | form. My advice to her: TESTING COVID-19 PUBLIC FREE demands. She wanted to protect her peace. But Use It! gency around voter ac- even when we explain ourselves nicely, the collec- Please allow me to cess. tive world still doesn’t listen to Black women if we’re explain. In an official state- See, I do not believe not staying in our place. It’s all about checking in ment on the appoint- with yourself until it’s put into practice. she is getting the right ment, Harris wrote: “Ev- and/or crucial advice Roland-Garros fined Osaka $15,000 after she ery American has a right | won her first round in the competition. The tennis ORDERS HOME STAY needed in this situation. to have their voice heard If I were in her inner star was then threatened with expulsion from the at the ballot box, and no circle, I would tell her to French Open, and future expulsions from the Aus- American should be kept go out there, sit down tralian and United States Opens and Wimbledon, if from voting early, voting and wait for the ques- by Biba Adams she didn’t participate in any news conferences. tions. The GRIO by mail or voting at all. Roland-Garros applied even more pressure by We, who watch any Our democracy is stron- seemingly mocking the second-seeded woman ath- athlete interview, know (GRIO) - Vice Presi- gest when everyone par- lete with a since-deleted troll tweet about other that sports reporters at dent Kamala Harris has ticipates, and it is tennis stars who “understood the assignment.” major events can ask been tapped to spear- weaker when people are These organizations can master the latest trends but some of the stupidest head the White House’s left out.” don’t have similar evolutions when it comes to the questions. efforts to protect voting “These bills seek to well-being of their star player. But Osaka is in a po- rights. restrict the options that Osaka pulled out of the French Open on Mon- sition where she can say President Joe Biden make voting more con- day, citing her depression and anxiety that resulted | anything she wants. made a point of address- venient and accessible, after her 2018 breakthrough U.S. Open win against PROVIDERS HEALTH Literally anything! ing Republican-backed including early voting | Serena Williams, which catapulted her to world- DASHBOARD DIGITAL TRACKING For example: if the legislation in more than and vote by mail. Our wide fame. reporter asks, “You’re not 40 states to restrict voter Administration will not Yeah, she could’ve pulled a Marshawn Lynch, known for playing well on access, efforts that he stand by when con- showing up before the press because she “didn’t Clay, how do you think called an “unprec- fronted with any effort want to get fined.” But Osaka shouldn’t have to do you’ll fare this tourna- edented assault on our that keeps Americans ment?” Osaka can an- all that. Osaka said what she said. democracy.” from voting,” Harris said. But again, the world just doesn’t listen to Black swer, “I believe the ver- Harris has been She added that the dict for Gorge Floyd’s women. covid19 tasked with a variety of For the People Act and Piers Morgan is leading the charge for the hard death was just, but there duties in the Biden ad- the John Lewis Voting remains a lot more justice of hearing. There are fans who only expect athletes ministration, including Rights Advancement needing to be had in my to serve as their entertainment, but Morgan fash- diplomatic efforts in the Act, if passed, “would country for my Black ions himself as a journalist defending the Fourth Northern Triangle, ad- provide all Americans brothers and sisters.” Estate and thinks he’s onto something whenever a | Any question they dressing migration at the with fair and accessible woman of color sets her boundaries. CARE ask can be flipped with a U.S.-Mexico border, ef- voting options” and Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, won’t response she holds true. forts to expand broad- “prevent discriminatory acknowledge him and now he spends his days crack- Osaka should never band internet access changes to voting laws ing the whip as some kind of slave master. run from the press. As and growing small busi- and procedures.” Morgan is now slandering Osaka as a “brat” well, she should never ness. Harris will work and “playing the mental health card” at the last job abandon the platform. However, the vice alongside members of he has left, writing for the Daily Mail. He used to be Use it until you abuse it, president has consis- Congress to help ad- Naomi. tently expressed the ur- vance the bills. See WHERE’S THE SMOKE?, page 2.