Black Women, Across Generations, Heed Biles’ Olympic Example
Aug 4, 2021, 12:30 PM
Simone Biles of Team United States watches her team perform on bars after pulling out of the competition after only competing on the vault during the Women's Team Final on day four on day four of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Gymnastics Centre on July 27, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
(Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
NEW YORK (AP) — Being a young Black woman in American life comes with its own built-in pressure to perform, and entails much more than meets the eye.
But for people like Naomi Osaka and Simone Biles, both prominent young Black women athletes under the pressure of a global Olympic spotlight, the glare on the world’s stage is even hotter.
Her voice has been as significant as her talents.
Her honesty as beautiful as the perfection that has long been her signature.@taylorswift13 gets us ready to watch @simone_biles on the beam.
Tonight. 8 p.m. ET. NBC and https://t.co/FmEtvutDRA. pic.twitter.com/80OMD6hI9X
— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) August 3, 2021
Both cited their mental health as reasons to step back from relentless competition and critique, a decision Black women across generations took notice of.
Following her bronze medal win on Tuesday, Simone Biles revealed that her aunt unexpectedly died just two days before the balance beam event. pic.twitter.com/e7NlEEI4B0
— ESPN (@espn) August 4, 2021
It’s part of an increasing discussion of mental health that is rising around race and sports, and in some cases is split by generational divides.
