I am a proud Black American woman and often think of my primary identity as being Black American. However, after watching Matt Lauer’s “interview” with presidential candidates Clinton and Trump, I quickly realized that I must be much more vigilant about checking patriarchy and male privilege. I could not believe the number of times Lauer cut Clinton off midsentence, how he grilled her on questions she had already answered minutes earlier and the overall dismissive tone of his interview. This treatment was in direct contrast to Lauer essentially behaving like a star-struck fan when interviewing Trump, a self-proclaimed alpha male who essentially steamrolled Lauer from the moment he sat down.
I must admit, watching the interaction between Lauer and Clinton brought back so many negative memories of sitting in meetings with majority men or discussing politics on panels that are also often majority male, and consistently being cut off, passively dismissed and challenged in a way few if any of my male colleagues or panel mates ever experience or even notice. Essentially, it’s cold out here for smart women. By no means does Clinton need someone rescuing her from the insensitivities and incompetence of the likes of Lauer. However, I do think it is worth discussing the role gender has played and continues to play in this presidential election.
I’ll be the first to say Clinton is a less than perfect candidate, but there is no doubt in my mind that she is the most qualified presidential candidate I have witnessed in my lifetime, especially when comparing her to a snake oil salesman—I stand corrected, a frozen steak salesman. Some of the trials and tribulations Clinton has faced this election season are her own doing: non-apologies for her past super predator comments, doubling down against Black Lives Matter activists before ultimately embracing their message and the whirlwind of mess surrounding her emails, servers and the overall tone of untrustworthiness.
However, many of the obstacles Clinton has faced are indeed explicitly gender related. The obsession with her health, her smile, her hair, her ability to “control her man” are just a few of the surface comments. The more damaging and unfair comments surrounding her ability to keep Americans “safe” is a gendered conversation that far too many Americans are willing to indulge.
I think we must remain vigilant during this election season to challenge the ways in which the media and debate moderators are gendering a presidential candidate. The nomination of Clinton is indeed momentous, but it is imperative she be treated equally as she competes to become the leader of this nation. Hopefully, we can all become more aware of the ways in which we can speak out for more robust gender equality.
Christina Greer, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Fordham University and the author of “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream.” You can find her on Twitter @Dr_CMGreer.
