Disclaimer: Now let me start off by saying that if you are one of the fools that have anything negative to say about this girl specifically with regards to the hair on her head (which in most cases is very similar to the hair growing out the top of yours) please feel free to KILL YOURSELF. And I mean that with all sincerity.
But I digress, now I'm certainly not Olympics obsessed but I have been following Gabby's story for a bit. I read an article in the beginning of July about her struggle to the Olympics. She moved away from her family in Virgina to live with a family in Iowa so that she could be trained by her world renowned coach While she was doing this her parents were getting a divorce and her father was being deployed once again to Afghanistan. And if any of you like me remember what it was like to be sixteen, I certainly don't know how she did it. The way for hormones were ragging back then, I would have given up and went home. Gabby just proves that though shit may get tough the last thing that you want to do is underestimate yourself, people are already gonna do that for you.
Before the gymnastics team grabbed gold, people weren't even talking about Gabby they were talking about her teammate Jordyn Wieber. Wieber still did wonderfully but all of the hype probably did not help her and as 1996 Olympian Dominique Dawes says, Gabby was able to slip under the radar and grab the all around gold for individual gymnast, the first Black person EVER to do so. (Its cray t=its 2012 and we can still say the first Black person to ever do something.)
Why is this so dope? Its like having Michelle Obama as the first lady, or Princess Tiana as the first Black Disney princess. Gabby is up there for me. The reason why I'm obsessed with Black film is because of the images that it provides. It gives Black people (more specifically children), no matter what their situation or circumstance, the opportunity to see people who look like them doing things that they may have never dreamed were attainable. And I think for people who can't see past their neighborhoods or even today that's so important. There's no reason to settle for what is 'expected' of you. Obviously there are always obstacles, and because life isn't fair some people have more obstacles than others. However, I know for me its always been helpful when I can look up to people who look like me doing things people always say they couldn't do. Gabby's win does so much for our community making history obviously, but also things like fitness and health and even our very apparent issues about hair could certainly be addressed.
I've personally always been too terrified to do a simple forward role. (Something about my feet bing over my head) But seeing Gabby fly has been glorious :)
xoxoxox Chocolate Girl In the City xoxoxoxoxox