Serena Williams poses nude

By now we are all used to seeing Serena Williams flash a little thigh on and off the court. Take this little number for instance. Williams is obviously comfortable with her body. Those of us who aren’t would never dream of wearing such a short dress. Honestly, those tennis outfits don’t leave much to the imagination whether they’re the skirt or the cat suit version.

Am I here to debate whether or not Serena Williams is a great tennis player? No. Am I here to bash her for the cover of ESPN’s The Body Issue for which she posed  nude? No. (Some argue that she’s wearing shorts, but it could debatably be a shadow.) My question: Is it really a big deal?

Much of my news comes from when I sign out of my email. That’s where the most popular news stories are featured. Notice I said most popular, not most important. Serena Williams nude on the cover of a magazine! Is it really that big of a deal? I vote no. It wasn’t until I did a little more digging that I found The Huffington Post write up and cover image. Serena Williams is only one of the cover options. There are six possible cover athletes.

Politics Daily offers the magazine’s perspective. To be fair, it is usually best to hear the whole story before jumping to conclusions. This issue is supposed to celebrate various athletes who excel at what they do and the bodies that allow them to do it. Could a positive message actually come from all of this controversial nudity? Of course: Your body is your greatest weapon, your source of strength.

“The Body Issue” has done just that. It has brought up issues of the body. Has our culture become so sex obsessed and panicked (two things that never go well together) that we can no longer view a naked body and appreciate its attributes? Can we really look at an athlete’s body and marvel and how s/he is able to use it in a masterful way within a particular sport?

For me, this issue brings up the old adage “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”.  We can easily identify a beautiful pass or an awesome play in a game. So what’s so hard about seeing the beauty of the body that did it?

Unlike some, I don’t believe that Serena Williams has compromised herself or her morals by posing nude. As a Black woman, I believe that what she has done is all the more important. She is celebrating her body as a person of color, as a woman, and as an athlete. She is in the company of other great athletes in the issue. It’s not like she is nude without purpose. It’s not like she is the only one nude. If nothing else, Serena Williams has proven that her strength can shine on or off the court and with or without clothing. Now that’s confidence.