J Reed Consulting LLC

What does it mean when Black women are told they’re too loud, too different, too unelectable, too much—and then expected to save the day when the work gets hard?

This piece is about the gap between being valued and being used, and the cost of labor that is expected but rarely reciprocated.

Read here: https://open.substack.com/pub/thedominiquemorgan/p/they-dont-want-black-women-until?r=58i5jx&utm_medium=ios

The National Council of Negro Women isn't staying quiet — and they made sure everyone knows it. After UFC fighter Josh Hokit used his post-fight interview at the White House to call Michelle Obama "a man" in front of thousands of people and a live national audience, the NCNW released a formal statement making clear that what the world witnessed wasn't a joke — it was an attack.

The incident happened June 14th during UFC Freedom 250, held on the South Lawn of the White House — the first professional sporting event ever staged at the presidential residence. After defeating Derrick Lewis, Hokit grabbed the mic with Joe Rogan and ended his remarks with the slur to crowd cheers and laughter. Trump was seen smiling. The broadcast booth said nothing. Paramount+, which aired the event exclusively, declined to comment. The White House never issued a statement. UFC President Dana White eventually called it "nasty and false" — but that was the extent of the accountability.

That silence is exactly what the NCNW called out. Their statement didn't just defend Michelle Obama — it named the pattern. Because this isn't new. Hokit made the same type of remark about Brittney Griner at a UFC event in January 2026 and walked away without a single official consequence from the organization. When there's no penalty, there's no reason to stop.

What makes this moment bigger than one fighter's post-fight trash talk is the setting. This happened at the White House — on a stage that carries the weight of the entire nation — and the people in power either laughed, looked away, or said nothing. The NCNW's message cuts through all of it: Black women have been watching who shows up for them and who doesn't, and the organizations that cashed in on Sunday night's event still haven't answered for it.
Michelle Obama has been a target of this specific smear since 2008. The fact that it's still being deployed from the most powerful address in the country — and met with applause — tells you everything about where we are. The NCNW isn't asking for a debate. They're asking for basic human decency. And they're making clear that Black women won't stop pushing until they get it.

Spelman College has named a nationally recognized robotics and artificial intelligence leader and former NASA engineer as its 12th president.