Actress/activist Eva Longoria appeared on MSNBC to discuss the Biden victory’s impact and reaction with journalist/host Ari Melber on November 8, 2020. Eva is receiving massive backlash for her comments that appear to disregard Black women’s efforts to shine a light of heroism upon Latina women. View the full video of Eva Longoria’s conversation here for full context.
Election data reports across the country show that African-American women came out in droves to support and elect Presidential-elect Joseph Biden and VP-elect Kamala Harris. History also shows that African-Americans have always been the #1 target for voter suppression and laws that prohibit our voice from being represented in elections due to the overwhelming power we possess.
Black people, and specifically Black women, are familiar with the tactics of being disregarded and disrespected in America. Need I remind you that Breonna Taylor, a Black woman, was unlawfully killed in her home. And the fact that Louisville, Kentucky officers are not charged for slaying this innocent human being is incomprehensible. We are still feeling the remnants of the disregard for a Black woman’s life.
Once again, Black women are familiar with giving our all in the workplace, home, church, community, and beyond to only be tossed about as if we’re old news. More often than not, Black women are criticized for the way we wear our hair. Our businesses are shunned when we apply for grants or opportunities that our white counterparts receive for representing the correct skin color.
And yes, we love all women of all races, creeds, colors, and backgrounds yet at times it hurts when we don’t receive that same love back. We are all for uniting our country for the greater good; however, when someone disregards our initiatives and hard work as an after thought, it is equivalent to a slap in the face. And yes, it is possible to congratulate women without putting other women down by dismissing their extraordinary effort.
After reviewing Eva Longoria’s full video interview, it is apparent that her main goal was to uplift Latinas and show love for their participation in the 2020 Election. And this is what we should do but not at the expense of hurting another group of women’s feelings. I wish Eva would have initially used better wording that would help unite us all from the beginning. Did she make an error in judgment and speech? Yes. Should we forgive her? Yes, however it will take a minute for us to get over this sting. We’re in the process of applying ointment and a band-aid at this moment so all hope is not lost.
Eva Longoria followed up with an explanation after receiving messages via Twitter:
And for those who say we should get over it and work on uniting all races, please don’t forget that we’re women first. Therefore we have to talk and get things off our chest before handling the work assigned. And let it be known, as a Black woman, it is not our desire and goal to work alone. We encourage all women to join us against the battles of racism, fascism, and all isms that are not rooted and grounded in love. When we all come together and work as one, the possibilities are endless.
I specifically want to give a shout-out to the Native Americans who represented well in the 2020 election too. Your support means everything, and we look forward to working with you all on uniting our country.
