Jeanne learned early in life interracial dating interests met societal frowns. She often encountered outright hostility for her academic success at elite public universities. Later in her legal career, some of her reports felt comfortable challenging her on her dating and personal choices. And like many Black women, her hair…

Society often reserves a particular set of low expectations and anger for Black women. Confident, knowledgeable women like Keanna confound and (in society’s view) reinforce such expectations when they assert themselves.