On Saturday, 23-year old Shani Davis became the first black athlete to win an individual gold medal in Winter Olympic history. Davis won in the 1,000-meter speedskating race.
Ask anyone who has ever done it and they will tell you being 'the first' is tough.
Fully aware of how much he stands out in the mostly white sport, Davis told the Associated Press "I'm one of a kind. . .a different type of person. I have a different charisma. A lot of people don't understand me."
Sadly Davis received a luke warm reception from many of his team mates, and an even worse reception from some individuals who posted racially charged messages to his personal blog. People saying they "hoped I would fall, break my leg, [and] using the n-word," Davis said.
What I would like to say to these people is, it's 2006 -- get over it!
Congratulations again to Shani Davis, winner of the gold medal in the 1,000-meter speedskating race.
No comments:
Post a Comment