Families thank Osaka for honouring Black victims of violence
Masks ‘a speck of what I could be doing,’ two-time Grand Slam champion says
Naomi Osaka arrived for her quarterfinal U.S. Open match Tuesday night wearing a mask that bore the name of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man who died in May when a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck.
The mask, a coronavirus pandemic necessity, offered her the opportunity to keep her activism front and centre. She came to New York with seven masks, each bearing the name of a victim of violence, and one for each match she would play in if she makes it to the championship. After advancing to a semifinal with a straight-sets win Tuesday night, Osaka was surprised as video messages of thanks from the parents of two victims of racial violence were shown by ESPN during her post-match interview on the court.
“I just want to say thank you to Naomi Osaka for representing Trayvon Martin on your customized mask and also for Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor,” said Sybrina Fulton, Martin’s mother. “We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Continue to do well. Continue to kick butt at the U.S. Open. Thank you.”
There also was a message for Osaka from Marcus Arbery Sr., whose 25-year-old son, Ahmaud, was shot and killed Feb. 23 as he jogged in his neighbourhood in Georgia. Travis McMichael, Gregory McMichael and William (Roddie) Bryan all face charges in the shooting.
“Naomi, I just want to tell you thank you for the support of my family,” Arbery’s father said. “God bless you for what you’re doing and you’re supporting our family with my son. My family really, really appreciates that.”
Osaka, who has also worn masks with the name of Elijah McClain, as well as Taylor, Arbery and Martin in the tournament, was clearly moved by the messages.
“I feel like they’re so strong. I’m not sure what I would be able to do if I was in their position,” she said.
“I feel like I’m a vessel at this point in order to spread awareness. It’s not going to dull the pain, but hopefully I can help with anything that they need.”
Osaka’s activism extends beyond her masks. She followed athletes from the NBA and other sports in choosing not to play or practice after the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wis., last month.
She chose not to play and the Western and Southern, a U.S. Open tune up, was paused for a day. The 22-year-old, whose parents are from Japan and Haiti, has spoken thoughtfully about race, particularly as a woman of colour in a sport dominated by white athletes.
With tennis paused by the pandemic in the spring, Osaka marched in Minneapolis after Floyd’s death.
In an essay for Esquire, she wrote of a personal “reset” that began after she won back-to-back Grand Slam tournaments, the 2018 U.S. Open and 2019 Australian Open.
“For me, it’s a bit surreal,” Osaka said Tuesday. “It’s extremely touching that they would feel touched by what I’m doing. For me, I feel like what I’m doing is nothing. It’s a speck of what I could be doing.”