Friday, August 3, 2012

BLACK AND A 10

                                                              BLACK AND A 10




I like everyone else have been watching the Olympics just like the rest of the world, and one of the highlights of the Olympics has always been the gymnastic competition. Gabrielle Douglas won the all around  and I missed it. I missed it because I didn't want to see someone so deserving perhaps lose. I had noticed in the pre- Olympic television media coverage the networks seemed to purposefully place the other gymnast in the forefront. Knowing how small minded the advertising world can be. Gabby is not the symbol of beauty that Madison Ave embraces. She is a powerfully built, deep brown, beautiful eyes and full lips, funny this is what white women pay huge amounts of money to look like. I am pissed because yes I can see it over and over but I missed a moment in history. We have broken many barriers in sports throughout the last 100 years. Gymnastics is one of the most demanding, body conscious, brutal perhaps even more than the ballet world. The physical impact put upon the bodies of these young women and men is mind blowing. My heart broke for all of them when they missed, fell, got up tried again and fell some more. As a little girl I tried to do the balance beam, attempted to do a simple cartwheel, missed and fell in between the rail, that was it for me. I thought I would never have children just from that alone. The dedication, the travel, the competition from the other mothers alone would be enough for me to probably quit. I would have been one of those moms running onto the field hitting the coach with my purse.  Her parents have put up with more than any of us realize. Gymnastics is also one of the most racist sports there is, it cost major money just to belong to a gym, most families cannot afford to belong, but to get to Gabby's level, we are talking money. 
To be judged by a simple point of the foot, the length of one's arms, the curve of one's neck, little Gabby has endured quite a lot. I remember being in a ballet class and Madam telling me, in her Russian accent, you never do ballet, your legs too thick, butt to big, you do Broadway.  Ms. Douglas deserves a medal as well, and I cannot wait to hear some of her stories. I want to see Gabby on the cereal boxes, on my yogurt, on sneakers. I want to see that beautiful face everywhere! I am proud of you Gabby, you are an inspiration not just because you are black and a gold medal winner, but because I know how hard this has been for you. In China children are chosen, they are trained all day, schooled, fed just to represent their country. This is not the case in America, all of these Olympians has had to finance their own sport, all of these parents have sacrificed in one way or another. So to all of them I say BRAVO!