Want Gold? Embrace Diversity

Nestled on my perch in Philadelphia, I swiped through my phone, excited to watch the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic games and cheer for the top athletes in the world doing what they'd trained to do.

Throughout the day, I'd been swarmed by images and videos of rapper Snoop Dogg carrying the Olympic torch. Basketball player LeBron James and tennis star Coco Gauff were chosen to be the Team USA flag bearers. We'd even managed to somehow pull Beyoncé out of her holiday to collaborate with the Team USA athletes for a family-friendly, prime-time rendition of "Ya Ya." 

The more I watched, the more frustrated I got. This coverage made the U.S.A. feel…diverse. Inclusive, even. The same diversity that a growing number of public figures and organizations have made it their mission to end, was being broadcast on the world stage as if diversity, equity, and inclusion is an everyday occurrence here. As a Black woman working in the civil rights space, I knew better. My brain struggled to connect what I was seeing on the screen with the book bans and erasure of Black history that is my lived reality. With the daily racist rhetoric and policy proposals aimed at harming Black communities, this showcase of inclusivity seemed disingenuous at best, and insulting at worst.

The same diversity that a growing number of public figures and organizations have made it their mission to end, was being broadcast on the world stage as if diversity, equity, and inclusion is an everyday occurrence here.

I couldn't shake those feelings of disconnect and frustration. It made me hesitant to watch the broadcast of the Olympics' two-week run, and instead opt to catch the highlights on social media after the fact. I watched gymnast Simone BIles take the medal stand for multiple wins. My friends and I shared 30-second clips of the U.S. basketball teams. And the memes? Couldn't get enough of them. But while scrolling, it became clear that the diversity of the athletes wasn't the sole reason for Team USA's success. Black creators also did their part, showing up and out for a country still struggling with the promise of "liberty and justice for all." 

While rapper Flava Flav entertained us from Paris, comedian Leslie Jones made us laugh with her couch commentary. Getty photographer Arturo Holmes captured the action, including the viral photo of Snoop, lifting his glasses in shock after watching Biles compete. And Todd Givens Jr.'s remake of "God Bless the USA" to celebrate the U.S. Men's Basketball Team had us all "proud to be an American."

My brain struggled to connect what I was seeing on the screen with the book bans and erasure of Black history that is my lived reality...this showcase of inclusivity seemed disingenuous at best, and insulting at worst.

Without the diversity that some people in this country are so hellbent on attacking, that Olympic medal count (126!) would look very different.

I couldn't help but wonder if Edward Blum, who led the legal battle to keep the Fearless Fund from supporting Black women in financial spaces that normally excluded them, donned his Team USA gear throughout the games. Did the six U.S. Supreme Court justices who declared affirmative action unconstitutional cheer for the diverse roster of athletes who represented the best of this country in a way that we're still waiting for them to?

You all will have to tell me. I've avoided that side of the Internet for the past few weeks.

To Simone, LeBron, Steph, Noah, Sha'Carri, and A'ja, thank you for letting this country know that yesterday's price is truly not today's price. To Ilona, Katie, Pete, and Lee -  thank you, too. To all 592 athletes on Team USA, thank you for being a living example of what this country could accomplish in all aspects of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness when we embrace diversity.

To the anti-diversity warriors, the fearful who think the opportunity and inclusion offered by ensuring diverse spaces is a threat to their way of life, I hope you took note.