The Associated Press is reporting that 18-year-old South African runner, Caster Semenya is on suicide watch after recent tests revealed (in front of the entire world no less) that she is intersex.
At the time of posting, Semenya's test results were still unknown. I posed a hypothetical and futuristic scenario about gender neutral Olympics where all is well with athletes competing in non sex-segregated sporting events. A utopic scenario, I admit.
Now it all seems to have taken a turn for the worst. According to the AP report "officials as saying that psychologists are caring [for] the 18-year-old round-the-clock after it was claimed tests had proved she was a hermaphrodite."
South African lawmaker Butana Komphela, said: "[Semenya] is like a raped person. She is afraid of herself and does not want anyone near her. If she commits suicide, it will be on all our heads. The best we can do is protect her and look out for her during this trying time."
The mere fact that it's gotten to the point that Semenya is reportedly on suicide watch indicates that we've all failed; sports officials, consumers, and media. We've done what we always do; react like vultures when consuming someone else's personal story and personal tragedy. Probing so deeply into this woman's life while taking away her voice in the process illustrates our failure as a global society to care for our own; our daughter.
I'm not being hyperbolic either. Within the past few weeks, I've encounter some disturbing commentary on popular blog sites and so-called "news sources" (for obvious reasons, I won't like back to these sites). Folks calling Semenya out of her name, insisting she's a 'freak of nature.' Otherizing her so much to the point that somewhere along the line she felt it necessary to perform her gender on a magazine cover, just to prove to us - the voyeurs - that she is who she identifies as.
The damage has been done. Semenya is a victim of modern-day voyeurism. Without context and without care, we, the folks, raped her by violating her personhood. By casting a chastising eye on her, we've denied her the right have the quality of life she deserves. Having an open and fair-minded discussion about gender identity in sports is fair game, (and I'm sure the debate will only explode from this point on) but exploiting a person's story as a way to essentially mask our own fears of the Other is (what Tweeters would refer to as) an #epic fail.
Caster Semenya's story also indicates another important issue concerning women of color and mental health. I recently wrote about this very topic highlighting yet another woman of color apparently suffering from mental illness while in the virtual world spot light.
Should sports and government officials have handled Semenya's situation differently? Absolutely. Especially when considering that her personal medical tests results were revealed to the entire world. She has nothing, I repeat, nothing, to prove to you or me.
Should bloggers and commenters have self-censored themselves before posting derogatory and misleading commentary about Semenya, intersexuality, and hermaphroditsm? Without a doubt.
Sadly, none of the above occurred, and because of these blunders of epic proportions a young 18-year-old woman reportedly sits contemplating her life's demise, despite being one of the most promising track & field athletes of our time.
Enough is really enough. Even though so much damage has already been done, it would behoove us as a collective to support our daughter during this time with prayers, meditations, reflective blog posts, supportive Twitter/Facebook updates; whatever suites your fancy. We've got some serious redeeming to do.
Caster Semenya, you have my love and support.
Tara
(AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
**UPDATE: Former track & field Olympian, Carl Lewis, speaks out, stating that ASA officials are to blame for how the Semenya story has been playing out around the world.
"It's your fault." Lewis goes on to say that athletics officials should have protected Caster Semenya from the controversy: "She is your athlete in your country and you didn't deal with this before. To put it out in front of the world like that, I am very disappointed in them because I feel that it is unfair to her."
Growing
up in northeast Ohio meant a few things: bearing rough winters, longing
for spring, and anticipating the next game or track meet. I was a
child athlete. I lived and breathed basketball and track. I was also
a firecracker. No doubt, I need guidance.
My first ever experience with coaches was when my dad and older brother taught me how to play basketball. Both taught me strategy, form, mental toughness - and how to play rough
with the boys. My father taught me to mentally visualize winning the
night before a game or a track meet. He also taught me that winning
wasn't necessarily everything, and that it's okay to cry even when no one's looking.
My first experience with organized sports was around 4th grade (eleven-years-old) playing AAU basketball.
(I had to wait two years before the school would let me run track - and
it felt like an eternity!). Ever since then, I've had amazing coaches;
men and women who not only taught me how to shoot a basketball or run
fast, but also taught me the importance of work ethic and sportsmanship.
Needless
to say, my experience with coaches - especially from middle school on
up to high school, have been amazing. I always felt as though each one
of my coaches saw something special within me that no one else did.
Like for instance, my high school basketball coach, Calvin Washington.
When I tell you that Cal had to 'deal' with me, I mean, he literally
had to work with me. It was never easy for me to accept what I deemed
as failure on the court, whether that be in the form of a missed lay-up
or foul shot, or that always-unforeseen technical foul. I was taunted
a lot on the court because the opposing team knew that I had a short
fuse. Yep, I was a hot head and everyone knew it. But Cal knew how to
calm the beast. He always managed to help me focus at my most
vulnerable times on the court, and for that, I'm grateful.
Like
my dad and brother who came before him, Cal taught me mental
toughness. He, along with the Solon High School coaching staff, helped
me understand the meaning of playing smart both on and off the court.
And
this is why we celebrate coaches who understand that their roles
influence not just the player but the person as well. These people
have incredible insight into what the future holds for their athletes
beyond the court or field. They choose the rigors of coaching in spite
of over-zealous parents, under-appreciative athletes, and reluctant
school boards. There's a reason why we make movies and documentaries
about inspirational coaches - and there's a reason why folks like me
with a public platform mention my father, my brother, Cal Washington,
and Chad Ramlow
(my high school track coach) years after all is said and done with my
athletic career.
It's because these folks deserve our recognition for making us
the people we are today; still imperfect, but nonetheless better people.
It's because of an amazing support system; family and coaches, that I was a state champion. (Thanks, Coach Ramlow!)
This
upcoming week, YouthNoise will spotlight the amazing coaches in your
life with our Play It Forward campaign. In partnership with Nike, LinkTV, and Up2Us.org (an organization
that promotes individuals, organizations, and research that support
youth development through sport), YouthNoise will be looking to you -
the inspired - to help celebrate coaches that have changed our lives.
This week brought lots of inspiring, infuriating, and downright interesting
stories in the sports/social justice/political world. I compiled a
list of a few stories that I thought ya'll would like. So, without
further adu, check the certified links.
No surprise here: Girls in cities like Los Angeles and New York "are the left-behinds of the youth sports movement"
especially since a large majority of these young inner city girl are
depended on by their families to "tend to their siblings or clean
house." And since there isn't enough money and resources to go around
for girls' sports programs, these young female athletes wind up getting
"very little" support. Thankfully, there are cool organizations like
Cooperative, Healthy, Active, Motivated, Postive Students (CHAMPS) that work to provide after school resources for aspiring athletes. (NY Times, CHAMPS).
Apparently, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad thinks that those rioting and protesting against his Presidential "win" is like losing a "soccer match."
He says, "Some people are sentimental and become excited. As I said, I
compared it to a soccer match. Their team has not won in the match."
Eh, not really, Ahmadinejad. You ever think that these folks are angry
because they believe they're losing their freedoms? A classic example of
bad taste: using sports rhetoric to dismiss a country in, what appears
to be, utter turmoil. (CNN).
In
NBA news, excited crowds will gather outside of Amway Arena tonight for
Game 6 of the LA Lakers and Orlando Magic. Nope, these folks aren't
unlucky ticket holders, they're human rights activists.
Protesters plan to call out the multi-million dollar entity known as
the NBA (and its Commissioner David Stern) for its "links with a global
corporation that violates workers' rights and subjects them to
sweatshop conditions." Here's wondering what Sir Charles thinks. (Peter Dreier/Huffington Post).
On
a lighter note, and in tribute of this week's upcoming Skatepark
Dedication in Los Angeles, check out this awesome video entitled
"Motivational Longboarding."
And just because track and field is, like, the most awesomest sports ever, here's a cool pic for your viewing pleasure. Apparently, the sky is the limit. (Getty/Jezebel)
Awesome feature photo provided by Vramack's Flickr page.
(Alice Coachman - the 1st African American women to win an Olympic gold medal: Photo courtesy of www.afrosportshall.com).
While perusing the Internet for stories related to Latin Heritage month, I came across a recent report by the Women's Sports Foundation. The study focused on money, race, and gender in sports. Though I was looking for something specifically geared toward Latina athletes, I couldn't help but to be drawn to the research on African-American female athletes. (I'll be covering more on Latin Heritage month this week).
While more African-American female athletes are participating in collegiate sports, they are segregated into two main sports; basketball and track & field. No surprise there, ya girl is one of those statistics.
(Rutgers Women's Baskeball Team at the height of the Imus controversy: Photo courtesy of www.gothamist.com).
The potential drawbacks that arise with these findings concern the following:
African-American female athletes have less access to sports scholarships. This is of a particular concern especially considering that many AA female athletes rely on athletic scholarships to go to college (again, ya girl fits this description). With fewer scholarships available, this creates more competition within a given sport. Unless we start seeing more Serenas and Venuses, then AA female athletes will continue to lack access to an array of scholarship opportunities. Also, AA female athletes who participate in basketball and/or track arguably do so as a result of "culturing" and/or recognized opportunity.
For instance, growing up I was more incline to pick up a basketball and put on track shoes than to pick up a tennis racket or put on golf shoes. Of course, I don't mean to generalize. My best friend and teammate played tennis in highschool (she's African-American). However, she, like me, accepted a track & field scholarship. Perhaps there was more opportunity for her to pursue track & field than to pursue tennis. Heck, track & field is the reason why I was able to attend the University of Houston and receive an undergraduate degree from one of the top schools in English/Creative Writing.
You get the point.
The Women's Sports Foundation release a report, Gender Equity and the Black Female in Sport, which lays out some more interesting considerations – in addition to my own. Here they are:
The African-American female is in double jeopardy. She is discriminated against by her gender. She is discriminated against by her race. African-American females represent less than 5% of all high school athletes, less than 10% of all college athletes, less than 2% of all coaches and less than 1% of all college athletics administrators. This data is scanty and old so the situation may be worse.
We also know that the African-American female, like the African-American male, is a victim of sport discrimination and positional stacking within sports. Her participation is restricted to basketball, track and field and the least expensive sports. Within those sports, she is underrepresented in skill/outcome control positions. She is seldom the setter in volleyball or the point guard in basketball.
We know she is almost non-existent in officiating and behind the 8-ball if she coaches because she has few if any assistant coaches and lacks recruiting dollars and other basic financial resources required to be a successful coach.
As a female and an African-American, she, as a sportswoman, has been neglected by the feminist movement and the civil rights movement because sport has been seen by feminists as either frivolous or reflective of a male model that should not be emulated.
I've never before encountered research of this kind. I've been through the rigors of a graduate Women's Studies program, I've also encountered the challenges as a female athlete, but to actually read about that which I've experienced as a woman-of-color athlete and student makes me even more aware that women-of-color athletes have been under our activist radar.
The Women's Sports Foundation offered some suggestions to address the above concerns. What are some of your thoughts, and how can these thoughts be turned into positive solutions?
Yep, that's me in the photo, circa 1998-ish. That was the year I was pretty much on top of the world (no pun intended) as a long jump state champion and a high school All-American track athlete. Those were the good ol' days!
Fast-forward about ten years later, and yeah, I'm still on top of the world especially since i get to write for the YouthNoise/PlayCity community.
If that picture didn't already clue you in (check out my neon-orange track shoes!), I'm somewhat of a sports junkie. I grew up playing street basketball with the guys and racing my cousins to the end of the stop sign in our neighborhood. I can honestly say that all of the running, jumping, shooting, throwing, and passing was good for me -
(ah-ha and here's the segue moment.)
Wait for it.
- kinda like "sports for good."
I'm uber-excited to have the opportunity to share various perspectives and blog about different current events as it concerns sports and activism.
(Along with being a sports junkie, I'm also a politics-junkie so, naturally, this Presidential election is driving me cah-raazy -and I'm lovin' it!).
I'm not just known as that kid who once sent Mark Price (the Cleveland Cavaliers' original premier point guard) a birthday card every year, folks close to me also know about my passion of working within various communities for social good.
Though I'm not wearing my track spikes or carrying my basketball everywhere I go anymore, I do carry with me an eagerness to address various social justice issues. (And you'll find out more about my "issues" out as we go, I'm sure).
As a YouthNoise/PlayCity blogger, I'll be bringing you stories from the front lines - (uh-err okay, that's a bit dramatic). But I WILL be covering various events in the L.A. area that fit the Nike/YouthNoise "sports for good" theme. However, what's a story without collaboration? If you have any ideas, tips, suggestions, please let us know.
Oh, Oh, Oh, - I've got to hear what you all think about this? All of this controversy surrounding the 2008 Beijing Olympics is rather reminiscent of the 1980 Moscow Summer Olympics, no? Very interesting. We'll have to see how this one plays out.
