Three Auburn Gymnasts Speak Up About Racism Issues
In the wake of Alabama gymnast Tia Kiaku speaking out about the disconnect she felt with the Crimson Tide team and coaches, including after she filed a Title IX complaint with the school following a racist incident with an assistant coach, three Auburn gymnasts have done likewise.
Telah Black, Kennedy Finster and A'Miracal Phillips all posted lengthy statements on Instagram (links are attached to each).
"Being an Auburn gymnast is sparkly leotards, TV appearances, private jets, long workouts, ice baths," Finster wrote. "But for me and my black teammates, it was also this: I couldn't hang out with my black teammates without 'jokes' of segregation being made. We had to code switch to make our team feel more comfortable. If we slipped up and relaxed around each other, we were told by staff to stop talking like thugs; speak correctly.'
"When we told our teammates their use of the N word so freely in person and on social media was unacceptable, it went in one ear and out the other; they didn't stop. Our feelings didn't matter."
Wrote Phillips: "An added obstacle of being told that I need to tone down my personality to make them feel comfortable or the constant pressure of not being 'the bad group' when hanging out with black teammates led me to bite my tongue in situations that would just get swept under the rug.
"Occurrences like these are engraved in my college memories, but I forgave for a piece of mind to enjoy the most of what was left. You were all heard then, now my hope is that you are heard in the evolvement of racial injustice."
Black believes an incident that demonstrated the double standard on the team led to her being being dismissed.
"At one of the first season meets in 2018, the team was all walking around and I wanted to speak to the black teammates and me being me, I said, 'black girls over here.' I didn't mean it in any derogatory way towards anyone else, but my teammates took offense to those words and reported this to the head coach. Later, when we returned to campus, I was suspended for a week and was told I had one more chance or I was off the team."
Black said she was told before the end of her junior season that she would not be a part of the team as a senior.
"I asked why and what I had done," Black wrote. "The answer I received, 'If you don't know what you did, then I can't help you.'"
Coach Jeff Graba issued an apology Tuesday night.
Additionally, former Florida gymnast Kytra Hunter, now 28, posted a statement about her experience with racism from teammates, including frequent use of racial slurs and stereotypes
Track and Field
While it's interesting to note the successes black athletes have on the field, the hardships black athletes have endured off the field have been often overlooked.
What was your first or most impactful experience with racism? SI's Chris Chavez asked 14 black track and field athletes to share their encounters; the stories that shaped their adulthood and their competition.
"I’m hurt by what I witnessed and watched with George Floyd. I’m heartbroken when I hear about the pure evilness of what’s going on. It hits so close to home often," Dalilah Muhammad said. "But I also see a lot of good happening. I see a lot of people coming together."
It's the cover story:
Sports Illustrated
Faces In The Crowd: Caitlyn Wurzberger
Sports Illustrated is reviving this iconic feature.
Meet "the Michael Jordan of girls' lacrosse." Caitlyn Wurzberger is the no. 1 recruit in the nation, absolutely dominant at the high school level, and the first featured in the new Faces In The Crowd.
Did You Notice?
• Bubba Wallace will drive a Black Lives Matter car at Martinsville Speedway, and he was joined by other NASCAR drivers on video to speak out on racism.
• NASCAR announced on Wednesday afternoon that it was banning the Confederate flag at its races and on its properties.
• Athletes ask the NCAA not to host events in Idaho due to state's transgender girls and women's sports ban
• Redrafting MLB’s loaded 2010 draft class.
• This ultramarathoner’s lies began to unravel with a portable toilet.
The Lighter Side
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