On the morning of Thursday, December 8th, WNBA superstar Brittney Griner was finally released from Russian custody after ten months.
For months, the WNBA and the member-centered Black Feminist Future organization kept constant pressure on the Biden administration to secure Griner’s release. The latter began the campaign #BringBrittneyHome over nine months ago. They demanded 1) that the U.S. government prioritize the swift and safe release and return of Griner facing no charges, 2) that there was consistent communication and visibility of her detainment, and 3) that she had access to the same benefits and protections of other US citizens—specifically consular access.
The work of both organizations reflects a long-standing tradition of Black feminist organizing and the role that Black women consistently play in the struggle for social justice and change.
As a Black woman, the moment of her release has been on my mind since we first learned of Griner’s detainment in March, weeks after she had been taken into Russian custody.
We live in a world, in a country, where Black women, girls, and gender-expansive folks are often dehumanized, devalued, or disregarded. For Griner, a tall, Black, openly queer woman, being detained in Russia posed a direct threat to her life and overall well-being. In a statement co-written with other members of the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport (NASSS) we argued against the use of athletes as political prisoners.
A portion of our statement reads:
“As scholars of sport who engage in transnational research on the impact of sport as a social institution, we find the detainment of athletes unacceptable. It is unacceptable that the celebrity status of an athlete to be used in political conflicts in which they have no direct stakes. International athletes should feel free to participate in their sport and earn a living whether at home or abroad without fear for their safety or freedom,” (NASSS, 2022).
The use of athletes as political capital opposes what we stand for both as an organization (NASSS) and me as a Black feminist scholar, Black woman, and human being.
Griner’s release is cause for celebration, and it’s worth reiterating how Black women have been central to her release.
Her detainment, however, speaks to larger social issues within our society both at home and abroad. That Griner played for years in Russia prior to her detainment exposes the larger issue of gender pay disparities in sports and society at large.
Around the time of Griner’s arrest, the USWNT won a major victory in the fight over pay equity. They received a promise of $24 million dollars in back pay and an admission that the gender pay gap in soccer has been unequal for years.
This win, however, is far from rectifying the disparities in pay equity in sports beyond soccer.
Brittney Griner wasn’t the only pro athlete in Russia when the country attacked Ukraine, but she was the one who didn’t make it back after being detained and sentenced to nearly a decade in a Russian penal colony before her release.
Griner’s release in a prisoner exchange for jailed international arms dealer Viktor Bout has ruffled many feathers, but Griner didn’t have a say in the negotiation. Many people questioned the President’s “choice” of who to bring home first. Social media was flooded with ignorant commentary attributing her release to being a pro athlete or because she’s a Black woman, which caters to “woke” politics.
Even Dallas Cowboys’ star Micah Parsons foolishly criticized Giriner’s release over that of Marine Paul Whelan, as if he specializes in geopolitical prisoner exchanges. Although he quickly apologized, the sentiment was clear.
Despite the backlash, Griner, her family and her wife Cherelle clearly stated that while they were thrilled Brittney was coming home, they didn’t forget about other American detainees like Paul Whalen, who is being held in Russia on espionage charges.
“We will remain committed to bring every American home, including Paul,” said Cherelle.
She echoed the sentiments of President Biden.
“We never forgot about Brittney. We haven’t forgotten about Pail Whelan,” said President Biden in Thursday’s press conference. “We are not giving up. We will never give up.
“We’ll keep negotiating in good faith. I guarantee that.”
I am grateful that Griner was reunited with her family, but I am saddened that she has spent the last 10 months in conditions that will likely only come to light later.
We can be happy for Griner’s return while also continuing to worry about and work for the release of other Americans who are detained both abroad and here at home.
The countless men and women who remain incarcerated here in the US under low-level marijuana drug charges remain an issue that must be addressed by the same government that fought to bring Griner home.
The Biden administration’s commitment to her safe return must also be read alongside the ways that Black women, girls, and gender-expansive folks remain left out of larger struggles against anti-Black racism and state violence and murder. The #SayHerName campaign launched in 2014 is a testament to the erasure and obfuscation of gender-specific, anti-Black violence perpetrated by the state (i.e., police) and everyday citizens.
So many things broke my heart when I first learned about Griner’s detainment.
I read posts saying things like “she should be happier since she hated the US so much,” just because she was an advocate for the lives of Black women, girls, and gender expansive people within the LGBTQ+ community. If Griner was faced with this kind of sentiment here at home, I could only imagine what her life would be in a country as anti-LGBTQ+ as Russia.
It’s been made crystal clear that Russia refused to include Whalen in the negotiations, so Grinner and her family had no choice in the matter. It is the responsibility of the government to intervene in such situations, but we also must be realistic that, the games of geopolitics and the nuances of these types of exchanges are above the pay grade of those critical of Griner for having the “audacity,” to be returned safely to her family.
Brittney Griner, an American citizen, is home and we should celebrate that fact.
Our joy doesn’t mean we turn a blind eye to those who are held both here and abroad. No.
It means that a Black, openly queer American woman will not be added to a litany of others who have lost their lives to anti-Black violence this year alone.
And don’t forget, this is a Black, openly queer American woman and daughter of a Vietnam veteran. One who penned a letter to President Biden in July emploring him to bring her and other American detainees home.
“I’m terrified I might be here forever,” wrote Griner. “On the 4th of July, our family normally honors the service of those who fought for our freedom, including my father who is a Vietnam War Veteran. It hurts thinking about how I usually celebrate this day because freedom means something completely different to me this year.
“I realize you are dealing with so much, but please don’t forget about me and the other American detainees. Please do all you can to bring us home.”
Even in her moment of fear, the activist in Griner expressed concern for others.
When Black women and girls in a long tradition of activist work say #WeAreBG, we are advocating for our right to be treated as human, and worthy of safety.
If that bothers you, maybe you should as yourself why and then check yourself.
Welcome home Brittney Griner, may you and your family receive the peace, and time to heal that you all so rightly deserve.
