“Just because it’s better doesn’t mean it’s fair,” said professional softball player AJ Andrews. “A lot of times they say, ‘You have this. It’s fine.’ ”
She noted how unusual it is to see a black pitcher in her sport, comparing it to how black quarterbacks once were rare in the NFL. Andrews said a lot of female athletes throw up their hands and conclude that “it is what it is. Not allowing that to be true is something that I want to happen. I want there to be no more ‘it is what it is.’ I want people to challenge that. I want people to go after what they deserve.”
On Nov. 13, Andrews appeared on a panel with WNBA player Nneka Ogwumike and Penn State professor Amira Rose Davis at Morgan State University in Baltimore to discuss the struggles of black female athletes. The discussion was part of a collaboration between The Undefeated and Morgan State to study the history and image of black women in sports.