Calling Shonda Rhimes an “angry black woman” was not the only problematic part of the highly criticized New York Times article published last week.
Writer Alessandra Stanley described Viola Davis — star of Rhimes’ new show “How To Get Away With Murder”— as “less than classically beautiful.” It’s needless to say, there were more than a few black women who took offense.
Viola Davis sharply returned with an elegant comeback, “You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, But still, like air, I’ll rise!!!”
Not that she needed to, black women across the internet came to her defense, as well as their own, with the hashtag #LessClassicallyBeautiful. If a picture is worth a thousand words, these tweeted photographs say it all. Labels and standards take heed, these are the faces of women who know they are beautiful.
Heaven forbid award winning actor, classically trained Julliard alum Viola Davis would be rated on acting. #LessClasicallyBeautiful
— DuEwa Frazier (@DuEwaWorld) September 20, 2014
Woke up to the @nytimes article that darker is #LessClasicallyBeautiful. Thankful their opinion doesn’t matter pic.twitter.com/0yMk0NUm8m
— Naa Oyoo Quartey (@OyooQuartey) September 21, 2014
#LessClasicallyBeautiful thanks white lady. Your standards mean THE WORLD TO ME. pic.twitter.com/nS4IQnUZvV
— Kadia Blagrove (@KazzleDazz) September 20, 2014
Which one do y’all prefer @nytimes? #LessClasicallyBeautiful pic.twitter.com/fhBc5QtMgD
— Rae Shmrurderrderrr (@iammachila) September 19, 2014
#LessClasicallyBeautiful pic.twitter.com/rTcDjBr50L
— Jehovah Nissi (@kEsquire) September 19, 2014
#lessclasicallybeautiful pic.twitter.com/tI7lsNG0OF
— Beauty in Color. (@PoCBeauty) September 19, 2014
#LessClasicallyBeautiful pic.twitter.com/18720UuaxC
— Thot Provoking (@unbtheredblkgrl) September 19, 2014
#LessClasicallyBeautiful pic.twitter.com/VOJGblfWa0
— Teonykkia Starr (@TeonykkiaStarr) September 19, 2014
#LessClasicallyBeautiful pic.twitter.com/y9CTJSppDv
— Asha Toure (@hooraytoure) September 19, 2014
@Awkward_Duck #LessClasicallyBeautiful pic.twitter.com/Rprp9uSEw5
— Madame St Clair (@Raptures_Delite) September 19, 2014