ABSTRACT
The scene of the August 11, 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, exposed a sea of angry, racist white men—most of them carrying tiki torches, bedecked in pleated khakis and polo shirts. The role of white women in the sustainment and perpetuation of white supremacy is often understated in the popular imagination, but racist white women are an essential facet of that foundation. In the realm of Shakespeare, imaginings of powerful women are often laden with views of white superiority. The alignment of whiteness with a stable underpinning suggests a clear superiority and sense of belonging. Holland’s opening story sheds light on the racist expectations that so many white people—even those who are seemingly woke—have about Black lives. Confidence, when it comes from Black, Indigenous, and people of color, is often seen as a threat to the privileges that whiteness affords.
