Story highlights Kristen Clarke: Bill O'Reilly's insult is emblematic of everyday racism and sexism

Clarke: Fox can begin to fix this by purging commentators who promote such rhetoric

Kristen Clarke is president and executive director of the national Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, which leads the Election Protection program and 866-OUR-VOTE hotline for voters. Follow her on Twitter @KristenClarkeJD. The views expressed in this commentary are hers.

(CNN) Bill O'Reilly's repellent, on-air comment Tuesday has helped shine a spotlight on the ways in which black women are stereotyped and denigrated. The #BlackWomenAtWork hashtag that quickly blew up on Twitter after he publicly disrespected Rep. Maxine Waters, the most senior African-American woman in Congress, brought women's stories of systemic, widespread and routine affronts rushing to the surface.

As an African-American woman, I am outraged. All Americans should be.

After watching a clip of Waters speaking on the floor of the House of Representatives, O'Reilly, appearing on "Fox & Friends" on Tuesday, ignored the substance of her comments and told the show's hosts that he was distracted by her "James Brown wig." This attempt to render Waters silent and invisible by making a caricature out of her appearance reflects the toxic social and political climate that we face across our country today.

It is certainly not the first time that a black professional woman has been subjected to such ridicule and disrespect, as the Twitter torrent quickly showed.

"My white man predecessor who had 'private' meetings after I left the room with top donors ... even though I was in charge." #BlackWomenAtWork, tweeted Brittany Packnett.

My white man predecessor who had "private" meetings after I left the room with top donors...even though I was in charge. #BlackWomenAtWork — Brittany Packnett (@MsPackyetti) March 28, 2017

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