It's 2024 and people worldwide had their eyes on Paris, France. Paris hosted the Olympic games and boy were they full of drama!The Olympics is a lengthy event to promote peace and peak athleticism. Participating countries choose the best of the best to compete and brand their flag.
But this time, harmony takes a backseat to controversy.
The Trouble in Paradise
With all the glitz and glamour of the city of love, you would think all Olympians got a warm welcome. Wrong! Black athletes instead dealt with the cold reality of the Games.
One glaring instance is the winner of the bronze medal for the women’s floor exercise final, Jordan Chiles.
Chiles is an Olympic gymnast for the U.S. team. Her win would have made this the first all-black podium since the dawn of the Olympic games. But, of course, there has to be a cap to all this gymnastic greatness.
Chiles originally scored behind two of Romania’s gymnasts, ranking her 5th place. Team USA asked for an appeal of her first score, feeling there was a miscalculation. The judges granted a 0.1-point increase as a result which officially crowned Jordan the winner over Romania’s competitor, Ana Barbosu. This is where the cap comes in.
After receiving the bronze medal, Romania contested the appeal. The Court of Arbitration for Sport declared the U.S. team’s appeal null over a one-minute deadline rule. This put Jordan Chiles back into 5th place. Not only did she lose the medal, she was even ordered to return it.
Evidence later revealed the U.S. team was earlier than the appeal deadline. But the Court of Arbitration for Sport stood by their decision. Chiles has been devasted since.
Another example of adversity towards black athletes is the French sprinter, Sounkamba Sylla.
The French Olympic Committee adheres to a strict principle of secularism that separates church and state. This usually applies to public sector workers by prohibiting religious wearables. Since France is hosting the Olympics, this rule now extends to athletes. Sounkamba Sylla was faced with being barred from the Olympic Ceremony due to wearing a hijab.
LVMH is the designer for France's Olympic Ceremony outfits so through collaboration, a solution was found for Sylla. Permitting her to be able to take part in the parade while respecting her religion.
These two instances are the beginning of many Olympic controversies. Still, they shouldn’t have happened in the first place. Hijabs aren’t a crime unless perceived through a prejudicial lens. Judges should also be fair in their scores when accessing the delicate sport of gymnastics from the beginning.
Luckily, Greatness is Unstoppable
“The show must go on” as Olympic games are not cancellable due to controversy. America brought home 146 medals; 40 golds, 44 silvers, and 42 bronzes. Black Olympians turned up the heat and dominated their events in the face of some much adversity.
With those victories came dope celebrations featuring popular anime references. You can’t put a cap on extraordinary, fictionally, or in real life. Black greatness prevails in divine time.
We See Comics in The Stands
Watching all the blerd Olympians is why Midnight Comics started in the first place. Lloyd and Natosha Jones realized that in mainstream media there are limits put on black characters. Despite their amazing powers and abilities, they still can't get too far ahead.
As a family, they started a comic book company where they control the narrative. Honoring the underrepresented in titles such as Sol and The Grey (which you can shop these books now). Their characters rise at night where evil lurks. These supers know that when midnight is coming, it's their time to shine!
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