National News

Black women stand up on Twitter following Maxine Waters dig

U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., takes the stage to speak during the third day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. The Associated Press

By Associated Press

1 minute to read

WASHINGTON (AP) — Bill O’Reilly’s joke about a congresswoman’s wig and White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer’s dressing down of a reporter have spurred black women to take to social media in protest.

Activist Brittany Packnett encouraged people to tweet under #BlackWomenAtWork Tuesday. It’s a response to O’Reilly’s comment Tuesday that Democratic U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters’ hair was a “James Brown wig.” He later apologized. Also Tuesday, Spicer told American Urban Radio Networks reporter April Ryan to stop shaking her head during a testy exchange at a White House press briefing.

Former DNC chair Donna Brazile tweeted , “#BlackWomenAtWork face the double bind of gender and race.”

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Waters used the hashtag herself on Tuesday night, tweeting , “I am a strong black woman. I cannot be intimidated, and I’m not going anywhere.”