Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has publicly condemned the frequent mispronunciation of her name, which she argues is intentionally disrespectful and oversexualized. Speaking to supporters at a black church near Atlanta, Willis, whose first name is pronounced “FAH’-nee,” said that those who call her “fanny” do so to demean her by associating her name with a woman’s rear.
Willis connected this issue to a broader pattern of attacks on black women, whom she says are often oversexualized and subjected to unwarranted scrutiny. “I live the experience of a black woman who is attacked and oversexualized,” Willis remarked. She expressed her exhaustion with hearing people mispronounce her name in a way that attempts to humiliate her, likening their behavior to that of “silly school boys.”
The DA’s frustration comes amidst her high-profile prosecution of former President Donald Trump on RICO charges. Trump himself has made remarks about Willis’s name, correctly pronouncing it before making a derogatory comment about its spelling. Such comments, according to Willis, are part of a larger issue of disrespect towards black women in positions of authority.
Additionally, Willis has faced allegations of favoritism for appointing her former romantic partner, Nathan Wade, as a special prosecutor in the Trump case. Although Judge Scott McAfee acknowledged an appearance of “impropriety” and criticized Willis’s judgment, he ruled that the defendants had not demonstrated a conflict of interest based on her relationship with Wade.
Willis’s statements highlight the intersection of race and gender bias, particularly how black women in leadership are targeted. Her experience underscores the need for societal change in how public figures, especially black women, are addressed and respected. The controversy over her name reflects deeper issues of sexism and racism that persist in professional and public settings.
