Gabrielle Douglas, who won 2 gold medals in the 2012 Summer Olympics, covers today’s Washington Post. The 16-year-old, who is nicknamed “the flying squirrel,” wowed the crowds with her incredible athletic prowess.
In any other culture such amazing achievements would be a source of pride. But in the black community, there is a raging debate on the style and texture of Gabby’s hair — and the media is lapping it up. As a race we are already scraping rock bottom in America, but who ever thought we could go even lower?
The debate erupted on social networking websites such as Twitter.com, where the majority of the criticism comes from black women who spend more money annually on fake hair, sew-ins, and hair gel than any other race.
“Have we forgotten that Gabby is competing at Olympics XXX? This is not America’s Next Top Model that we’re watching,” wrote a Twitter user.
Monisha Randolph, who runs Sporty Afros blog, notes that our reliance on weave and hair extensions limits our involvement in sports and vigorous exercise, which leads to increased obesity rates among black women.
“A large number of Black women do not work out because of their beloved hairstyle. This is so sad and this is why Sporty Afros was created. We are here to help women with their workout hair care solutions and crush excuses such as ‘I can’t workout because of my hair.'”
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