This Week's Discussion: Sha'Carri Richardson & the standards Black women are held to.
What's blowing up in the group chat this week
I’ve been thinking a lot about Sha’Carri Richardson.
It was just two weeks ago the she became the fastest woman in America and was headed to the Tokyo Olympics where she would almost certainly win a gold medal.
But now, she won’t be going to the Olympics at all. All because she smoked a little weed. Sha’Carri, who is just 21, was disqualified from running the 100 meters race after she tested positive for marijuana, which is for some reason still on the Olympics’ list of banned substances. There was hope that Sha’Carri would still get to compete at the Olympics in the 400 meter relay, but those hopes were dashed when it was announced that the runners for that race were already chosen before her positive drug test.
I’m happy to see the overwhelming support Sha’Carri has received from fans and fellow athletes. I think most people at this point realize how archaic it is that a young woman’s lifelong dreams were sidelined just because she smoked weed — something she said she did to cope with her biological mother’s death and to deal with the pressure of competing.
I’m also seeing a lot of comments like, “Rules are rules. She should’ve known better.” Well, yes, “rules are rules.” But, let’s not pretend there aren’t separate rules for certain people. For some people, their very public mistakes are just written off as “boys being boys.” Like the time swimmer Ryan Lochte lied about being robbed in Brazil during the 2016 Olympics when he was actually drunk and vandalized a bathroom. After the incident, the International Olympic Committee put out a statement saying:
“We have to understand that these kids came here to have fun. Let's give these kids a break. Sometimes you make decisions that you later regret. They had fun, they made a mistake, life goes on.”
Interesting how that grace doesn’t extend to Sha’Carri.
Black women have to be exceptional — always. Our mistakes can never just be seen as youthful indiscretions, but as reasons we didn’t really deserve what we had in the first place. Sha’Carri’s career trajectory shouldn’t be defined by her using marijuana — something that’s legal for recreational use in the state she consumed it in and something millions of people use to treat both physical and mental ailments.
Last month, I talked to Gossamer, a digital magazine for people who enjoy marijuana, about the need for more people to talk openly their marijuana use to help end the stigma. “As a woman of color, if we’re into weed, I think we’re sometimes viewed as deviant. Or like we don’t have our lives together,” I said. “But I credit weed with helping me be productive in a lot of ways, helping with my anxiety, and helping with my creativity.”
This has been on my mind so much when thinking about Sha’Carri. Who’s allowed to smoke weed and be seen as cool and quirky but also successful? Who gets labeled as screwup?
The Olympics holding Black women to a different standard than other people didn’t end with Sha’Carri. FINA, the governing body for water sports, decided that Soul Caps, swim caps designed for swimmers with natural and voluminous hair, wouldn’t be allowed in competition.
Why? Well, according to FINA the caps don’t fit “the natural form of the head” and “athletes competing at the International events never used, neither require to use, caps of such size and configuration.”
Swimming is historically a sport where Black people are underrepresented. It is no surprise, then, that FINA would think swim caps designed for people who have big hair or wear styles like braids and locs would be unnecessary.
“For younger swimmers, feeling included and seeing yourself in a sport at a young age is crucial,” Soul Cap’s founders said in a statement. “ … We feel there’s always room for improvement, but there’s only so much grassroots and small brands can do – we need the top to be receptive to positive change.”
Hair discrimination is often overlooked as not a real issue because “it’s just hair!” But hair and being able to wear it in its natural state without being penalized matters. Discrimination is discrimination, period.
After much deserved backlash, FINA is reconsidering the ban. As awful as this incident is, I’m hopeful that it has not only opened more people’s eyes to hair discrimination, but will also force more organizations and schools to reexamine their racist dress codes.
You can sign the petition to make hair discrimination illegal in the U.S. here.
Please watch this video of 13-year-old Zaila Avant-garde winning the Scripps National Spelling Bee:
She is the first Black American to win the competition. Zaila is also an amazing juggler and basketball player so in conclusion, Zaila 2024.
In May, I suffered a second-degree burn from the Kiss Red Pro hair steamer. It’s something I’ve been dealing with ever since — doctors visits, creams, stressing about how the scar will be visible in my wedding dress.
Dealing with Kiss Products unhelpful customer service and insurance company has been draining. Not only have they been extremely dismissive of my injury, they have yet take the steamer off the shelves, even though it has apparently burned other people (just read the Amazon reviews).
Part of the reason I started this newsletter was to share and recommend products and brands I love to other Black women. I’ve always been aware that many — if not most — beauty brands don’t prioritize the needs of Black women, even though we spend more money on beauty and personal care than any other racial group. But, this whole situation has made it 10000% clear. This is not the first dangerous or toxic product marketed to Black women and it probably won’t be the last but we can start holding these brands accountable.
I’m sharing this so other Black women don’t get hurt. This steamer is NOT safe. I’ll update you in a future newsletter on how I’m healing and if Kiss actually takes any meaningful action to protect their customers.
Something(s) to read 📚
How the sports world failed when three Black women needed help
Something to watch 📺
Something to cook 🧑🍳
Something(s) to try
1906 Chill Edibles - After a long week, these chocolates help me unwind without making me feel like I’m melting into the couch. They have a low dose of THC and lots of CBD so you don’t have to worry about freaking out.
CeraVe Swim Renewing Vitamin C Serum - I’ve been using this for 2 months and I feel like it rivals my $166 vitamin c serum and it’s a fraction of the cost.
Thank you so much for joining the group chat. If you liked what you read, please share and subscribe. Leave a comment to let me know what you’d like me to discuss next week or products and services you’d like me to try.