Serena Williams shared her unease after noticing a cotton plant displayed as decoration in a New York City hotel, and people on social media are weighing in on it.
Featured VideoThe retired tennis legend visited the city on Thursday, just one day after appearing at the launch of Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS and Nike collaboration. While recording her walk through a hallway, she came across a table with a vase filled with cotton branches.
Williams questioned the choice of decoration
In her Instagram Story, Williams walked along the hotel corridor and focused the camera on the cotton in a decorative vase.
Advertisement“Alright, everyone. How do we feel about cotton as decoration?” she asked while approaching the display.
She then admitted, “Personally, for me, it doesn’t feel great.” In another clip, she pulled a cotton boll (the round, fluffy ball that grows on cotton plants) from the stem and pressed it against her nail, saying it reminded her of cotton balls that are used with nail polish remover. She shuddered visibly before moving out of frame.
AdvertisementAlthough the display may have been intended as rustic decor, the cotton industry has a complicated history in the United States. The plant is strongly associated with slavery and the forced labor that drove much of the country’s early economy.
Social media reacts with support and criticism
News of Serena Williams’s Instagram Story quickly spread across social media, and responses varied. Some viewers supported her reaction, while others dismissed it as an overstatement.
Advertisement“As a black person I definitely know the feeling and it ain’t a pretty one,” tweeted @boydloris4.
Others felt differently. “My beloved Gram PICKED COTTON! She’d bring me home a piece every season. Georgia cotton fields invoke a memory of missing my gram & anticipation for her return! Gram wasn’t a slave. Neither was Serena. The cotton isn’t evil. The victimization is,” wrote @BeastieJenkins, unimpressed with the tennis star’s reaction.
On MSN’s repost of the videos, one commenter argued that the plant should be viewed as neutral. “It’s art, no more and no less. It’s a beautiful plant. It only has the power that you allow it to have for you. Keep it a thing of beauty, not of pain of the past,” the user wrote.
AdvertisementAnother suggested Williams’s response was exaggerated, saying, “it’s like she’s trying to get attention by being in her feelings over something that’s a natural part of our earth and our culture.”
” We’ve all worn clothing made out of cotton or a cotton blend. I understand what her sentiment meant at one time in history but this is one of those times u can’t play the race card.”
Others echoed mixed views. One commenter noted, “As a black person, I understand the sentiment. This time may be a slight reach though. I’ve seen this centerpiece quite a few times over the years.” Meanwhile, a BlueSky user quipped, “It’s a plant. They didn’t ask you to pick it.”
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