Power of the Dream: Changing the Political Landscape
Power of the Dream is one of those documentaries that takes you completely by surprise. It’s produced by Tracee Ellis Ross and WNBA players Nneka Ogwumike and Sue Bird and directed by Dawn Porter. At first glance, Power of the Dream looks like it’s a documentary about women’s basketball, but really, it’s about so much more than that. While the WNBA is definitely the backdrop of the film, the women who make up the league and their fierce determination for social advocacy drive the narrative.
The documentary is an empowering story of how the women who make up the WNBA – many of whom are queer women of color – used their platform to advocate for change within both their league and their greater communities at large. As the documentary chronicles the history of the WNBA – which turns 27 this year – it’s clear that the WNBA is, and always has been, so much more than just a basketball league. It’s a vehicle for political advocacy and a force capable of huge things.
As the documentary opens, viewers are provided with an overview of the struggles that the WNBA has faced since its inception. Plagued by misogyny “they’re just women” and homophobia “they’re all gay”, the players of the league are not strangers to resistance and strength in numbers. Over the years, the league and the players have found their footing and stood up to the scrutiny. In more recent times the league became the first professional sports league in history to launch an LGBTQ marketing campaign, acknowledging their queer-heavy team rosters, and their fanbase. Because of who they are, a league of predominantly Black women with many out queer players representing gender fluidity, the WNBA is inherently a political machine.
The impetus for Power of the Dream started in 2020 when the WNBA took on Kelly Leoffler, a now-former U.S. Senator and former owner of the Atlanta Dream. It was during the height of COVID-19 lockdowns in the United States and the Black Lives Matter movement and the WNBA decided that they would allow the players to wear warm-up uniforms with the phrase “Say Her Name” in support of Breonna Taylor. Kelly Loeffler took it upon herself to write a letter to the league’s commissioner, Cathay Engelbert, in opposition to the decision. She said, “The truth is, we need less – not more – politics in sports”.
In 2011 when she bought the Atlanta Dream, her true colors were not apparent to the members playing for her. It wasn’t until she stepped into the political arena, that her ideologies came to light. In 2020 she was instrumental in writing and introducing extremely hateful anti-trans legislation, as well as openly and financially supporting anti-LGBTQ organizations. Her exceptionally conservative anti-LGBTQ, and clearly anti-Black policies were like a slap in the face to the WNBA. She called the Black Lives Matter movement divisive within the WNBA and, as the league stepped up to support the Say Her Name campaign, the fight to expel Leoffler began as well.
When her Senate seat came up for election, the WNBA capitalized on the opportunity to impact the outcome of the election. It was a strategic choice to endorse Raphael Warnock, but it was a necessary one. And so, the WNBA shifted gears once again and used their powerhouse of influence to effect real change. After using their voices to amplify the Breonna Taylor issue, they decided the best way to eradicate Kelly Leoffler was to completely avoid saying her name. So, they started talking about Raphael Warnock instead.
A Black pastor from Georgia, Raphael Warnock was everything the WNBA was looking for. Although not a woman, he stood proudly with the Black Lives Matter movement, supported the LGBTQ community, and advocated for women’s rights. And so began the WNBA’s quest to oust Leoffler from office. As the documentary shows, their efforts weren’t in vain, and Leoffler was unseated in favor of Warnock.
Power of the Dream is a reminder that change is possible, one person can make a difference, and you shouldn’t mess with the players of the WNBA! Fiercely inspiring, Power of the Dream heralds the strength and bravery of the women of the WNBA as it showcases their tenacity, their humanity, and their determination to fight for what is right at any cost.
Dressed up as a sports documentary, The Power of the Dream is really a film about the power of women and the absolute force that women become when they act as a collective. Do yourself a favor and check it out now.
Power of the Dream is available to stream on Prime Video. Follow us on X and Instagram for all queer stuff!
Featured Image: Image Courtesy of Amazon Studios
