Posted on Aug 12, 2016
American Simone Manuel speaks out on police brutality, race after earning Olympic gold
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My 14 year old came into our room crying and I jumped up because I thought she was in pain from her surgery. She was overcome with so many emotions that she literally fell to the ground and said " I know that I will bring home the home the gold one day. I just want to be known as Tajah, the girl that worked hard all her life and not the African American girl that just won."
Trust me when I say this, you WILL see Tajah at the Olympics one day... Our daughter is JUST that amazing! She made it to the JR Olympics, but was unable to compete due to her injury. SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4"
It is something I’ve definitely struggled with a lot,” Manuel said. “Coming into the race I tried to take weight of the black community off my shoulders. It’s something I carry with me. I want to be an inspiration, but I would like there to be a day when it is not ‘Simone the black swimmer.’
“It means a lot, especially with what is going on in the world today, some of the issues of police brutality,” Manuel said. “This win hopefully brings hope and change to some of the issues that are going on. My color just comes with the territory.”
Trust me when I say this, you WILL see Tajah at the Olympics one day... Our daughter is JUST that amazing! She made it to the JR Olympics, but was unable to compete due to her injury. SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4"
It is something I’ve definitely struggled with a lot,” Manuel said. “Coming into the race I tried to take weight of the black community off my shoulders. It’s something I carry with me. I want to be an inspiration, but I would like there to be a day when it is not ‘Simone the black swimmer.’
“It means a lot, especially with what is going on in the world today, some of the issues of police brutality,” Manuel said. “This win hopefully brings hope and change to some of the issues that are going on. My color just comes with the territory.”
American Simone Manuel speaks out on police brutality, race after earning Olympic gold
Posted from usatoday.com
Olympics
Swimming
Sports
Posted >1 y ago
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I watched this race and of course I cheered for Simone because, well, she's an American. But what struck me about her and this race is not her color or her gender, it was the the fact she hung in there when she wasn't even favored to win and she came from behind and won. That's what it means to me to be an American... Work hard, never give up, and win.
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Lt Col Marlon Ruiz
It is somewhat refreshing to read Simone's account of how she wishes to be viewed by others. All to often "hyphenated American" subtitles get in the way of recognizing and acknowledging individual self worth and achievement. Simone's accounting is the truest simplified explanation of Martin Luther King's vision articulated in his words when he offered that we all be judged by the "content of our character" over the "color of our skin." Kudos to her and all those who choose to not burden themselves with unnecessary social labels that only lessen individual "moxy."
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My wife and I have been watching the swimming portion of the Olympics all week, Men's, Women's ducks and geese, doesn't matter. We have two adult daughters that were Club, High School, college swimmers from a very young age, and honestly we never saw color, except for the Red, White and Blue, and that was even on her finger nails. Sometimes it's funny, when we walk into a pool area and smell the chlorine, it's like man do we miss that smell.
Her facial expression when she realized she tied for Gold was priceless. Unless you are doing a relay, it is you and the water. She is a monster in the water, and when the favorite started to lose ground, you could see this young lady, taking off.
Hats off to her. It's all about the water, but a lot of people can't get past color.
Her facial expression when she realized she tied for Gold was priceless. Unless you are doing a relay, it is you and the water. She is a monster in the water, and when the favorite started to lose ground, you could see this young lady, taking off.
Hats off to her. It's all about the water, but a lot of people can't get past color.
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