These images illustrates just how much representation matters when it comes to seeing people who look like you make monumental accomplishments. “We know how hard she had worked and she had sacrificed a lot to get to this point”.
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“At the end of the race, if it’s close, I put my money on Penny to be at the wall first”, he said.
“I think it’s really cool because us African-American girls can do it”, said 15-year-old Chloe Webb. “I know made the Olympic team, I always said, I’m proud to be the first, but I definitely don’t want to be the last”. This medal is not just for me.
The original headline on this story was insensitive and has been updated to acknowledge the historic gold medal wins by both Simone Manuel and Michael Phelps.
Manuel, who won a silver medal in the 4×100 freestyle relay Sunday night, was scheduled to swim in the semifinals of the 50 freestyle Friday night.
Tennis great Serena Williams, an Olympic gold medalist, posted a photo of both Manuel and Biles with their gold medals on her Instagram page with the caption “So awesome”.
Manuel recognizes the significance of her achievement, yet she has never wanted to be defined exclusively by the color of her skin.
After giving sobering and mature remarks on the significance of her win in the light of the current state of racial relations in America, she said she hoped to one day simply be known for her own efforts, and not as “the black swimmer”. “She understands that it’s a part of it”.
“I am the first Emerati to represent my country, and it’s such a great honor and I really hope when I get back to the country I can have some sort of campaign to encourage women in sports, especially swimming”, she said. “So I could swim in the Olympics here in the future”, said Naomi Johnson, a member of the Montgomery YMCA Barracudas Swim Team.
Meanwhile, USA Swimming hosts diversity camps, has developed community partnerships with city departments in diverse areas and has a diversity coach mentorship program.
“She will not only save kids’ lives, but inspire kids to use aquatics”, he said. African-American children drown at a rate almost three times higher than white children, according to USA Swimming, as an estimated 70% of African-American children can not swim. “They might be pretty good at it”.
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That’s a sentiment that Manuel emphasized after winning gold Thursday.
