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Global tennis superstar Serena Williams thinks she's the victim of a racist attack. She's not. She's merely revealing narcissistic tendencies while succumbing to a dangerous worldview that turns her into a victim.
The New York Times ran a short puff piece highlighting Williams' $111 million venture fund, Serena Ventures. But editors made an error in the print edition: they used a photo of her sister Venus.
Society no longer offers grace around simple errors. Everything is viewed through a lens of critical race theory, which views you as either an oppressor or the oppressed.
Despite worldwide fame and a net worth most people will never see in multiple lifetimes, Williams is oppressed because she is black. This wasn't, in fact, a minor error by a hurried Times staffer most likely juggling multiple priorities. This was a racist slight.
Williams quickly turned to Twitter to express her grievance.
"No matter how far we come, we get reminded that it's not enough," Williams tweeted. "This is why I raised $111M for @serenaventures. To support the founders who are overlooked by engrained systems woefully unaware of their biases. Because even I am overlooked."
Williams' left-wing fans chimed in.
"NYT really said 'they all look the same' out loud and in print," one user responded.
One inexplicably chided the Times for being "a right wing paper that practices tabloid journalism," while another claimed the mishap "reflects how America's nativist press see or don't POC—specifically Black people."
The Times matter-of-factly admitted its error and printed a correction in the paper the next day. But it did not address the smear that whoever selected the photo is a racist who could not see past their own biases to get it right.
There's no evidence this was an error based on bias or racism. No, it doesn't fall into the category of white people who think all black people "look the same."
Williams wasn't mistaken for a random black celebrity—athlete or otherwise. It wasn't a photo of a white woman also named Serena Williams who was chosen because only white people are seen as successful.
This was confusion over two sisters who hold the exact same jobs and look similar to one another because they are siblings. It's the same kind of hurried mistake many of us have made. It's the same mistake we've made with other celebrities.
At the start of their careers, how often did Luke and Owen Wilson get confused for one another? Marie Claire magazine claims actresses Amy Adams and Isla Fisher get called each other's names all the time. Same for actors Darren Criss and Kit Harington and Henry Cavill and Matt Bomer.
Are those racist slights, too? Or are they examples of pairs who hold the same jobs while happening to look similar to one another?
If the Times confused Chris Pratt and Chris Evans—as people do frequently—would either actor take to Twitter to decry the notion that no, not all white men are the same person? No.
The difference is that progressive activists, politicians and academics have constantly told non-white America that the issues they face—even when identical to those white people face—are a result of a white supremacist culture that doesn't value them.
That the recipients of this illogical message can be worth hundreds of millions of dollars never seems to matter.
Rather than write something off as an honest mistake, certain groups are primed to react as if they're the victim of something more sinister. It creates an unhealthy and counterproductive suspicion of everyone around you.
Didn't get that job? It's because the hiring manager was racist—not because you bombed the interview. Missed out on the promotion? Proof positive that your boss is a racist and most definitely not because you didn't meet your project deadlines. One can quickly see how leaning into a belief you're always a victim of bigotry could stop you from addressing deficiencies that could improve your future.
Racism, of course, still exists. Just take a look at Twitter or Gab, and you'll see the ugliness on display. In fact, I'm too often on the receiving end of some hate.
Remarks that belittle someone on race—or any identity—are, in fact, bigoted. But the Williams mixup is clearly not one of those instances.
This incident shows you the power of propaganda and the dangers of identity politics. In the case of Serena Williams, it turns out that no amount of fame or fortune will stop some people from feigning victimhood.
Jason Rantz is a frequent guest on Fox News and is the host of the Jason Rantz Show on KTTH Seattle, heard weekday afternoons. You can subscribe to his podcast here and follow him on Twitter: @jasonrantz.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
