Naomi Osaka’s Braided Hairstyle Speaks Louder Than Words

“SILENCE is violence” has been one of the phrases painted on protest signs and written in Instagram posts following the murder of George Floyd. But for many Black people, saying those words can feel like a broken record.

Since the deaths of Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, the wounds of racism and inequality have not only sparked outrage but also activism — and tennis champion Naomi Osaka, who is of Haitian and Japanese descent, has taken up the charge on a global stage.

During the US Open in September, the athlete wore seven different masks with the names of Black men and women who were killed at the hands of police brutality and racial discrimination.

When ESPN reporter Tom Rinaldi asked what message Osaka intended to get across with her masks, without missing a beat she turned the question back on him asking, “Well, what was the message you got,