Queen of Basketball (Ben Proudfoot, 2021) is a micro-documentary, which tells the story of Lusia Harris, an American professional basketballer. On the other hand, King Richard (Reinaldo Marcus Green, 2021) is a biopic of Richard Williams, the father of Venus and Serena Williams. Both productions were 94th Academy Awards winners. Queen of Basketball won the Best Short Documentary. While King Richard still holds the Best Actor in a Leading Role, despite controversy involving Will Smith.
Queen of Basketball follows the journey of Lusia Harris. It highlights her pinnacles as a Black woman in a white and male dominating sports world during the tumultuous and revolutionary 1960s in the Deep South.
Her height was the target of bullies and made her feel insecure, but soon became an asset - an invitation to the world of basketball. Lusia Harris witnessed the creation of the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women in 1971. The implementation of Title IX, a federal civil rights law for equality in sports in 1972.
She started playing at Delta State University. She became three times a national champion in the United States. An Olympian, the first women's basketball team in 1976. Despite being the only African American player on the team, segregation was invisible on the court.
As usual for many women at the time, her athletic career ended after her marriage and building a family. Prior to her death, her story was shared with the world. Before Queen of Basketball, there were notable achievements in the sports world.
There are many ancient cultures with women participating in sports. In 1896, Athens had 241 male athletes competing in the Olympics. Women were considered persona non grata; they were not allowed to participate in the competition or in the cheering bleachers.
In the following Olympics, there were 997 participants (975 men and 22 women). To participate, women needed to be mindful of their femininity and ‘fragility’. They were limited to “feminine sports”, which were former leisure activities of the aristocracy (tennis, sailing, croquet, horse-riding, and figure skating). They were excluded from track and field sports, in order to protect their femininity and fertility, respect decency, and avoid any strenuous or sustained effort.
In London 2012, women from every country competed in all sports categories.
On American soil during wartime, there was the creation of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, aiming to keep the sports alive while the men were away. However, women from minority groups did not have professional leagues in which to play. Instead, they played in recreational leagues or carved out space in male leagues at this time.
Luisa Harris paved the way for future generations, especially African Americans in sports like Venus and Serena Williams. Nevertheless, King Richard portrays them as shadows and satellites of male figures, especially their coach and father, the multifaceted central character. He also broke down the elitist barrier of tennis, making it more accessible to minorities.
The journeys of two influential African Americans opened doors for many in a largely white world. Increasing representation for underprivileged social groups and providing hope for future age groups outside the margins.
Where to watch:
Queen of Basketball (Ben Proudfoot, 2021) on YouTube
King Richard (Reinaldo Marcus Green, 2021) on Amazon Prime
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