Will Smith’s slap sparks debate on the defence of Black women

Jada Pinkett is not a damsel in distress and the idea that Smith should be applauded for treating her as if she doesn’t have a voice or doesn’t have her own agency is a problem, says Eversley. Photo: Reuters

It started with a Black man slapping another Black man on live television at the globally televised Oscars, presumably in defence of a Black woman who was being ridiculed over her hairstyle.

But to many Black people, it was about more than a slap or an insult. It was about Black manhood, about what is expected of Black men in the 21st century – and about attitudes toward Black women.