A Proud, Yet Humble Simone Manuel Becomes the First African American Woman to Win Gold in Swimming

The first American African American woman to win gold in swimming brought tears to my eyes as she shed her own.

She seemed amazed and surprised

She seemed to almost be in disbelief

She seemed determined and a little sad to realize she was the first.

Updated 8/13/16 to include a quote taken from Donna Harris’s piece on Simone Manuel, which I think people should also read, because she has a touching story to tell.

“The history of black Americans and swimming is a microcosm of the institutional racism that held back the United States for so long and still, sadly, exists in society today. In the first half of the 1900’s, pools were built across the United States, but segregation kept black Americans from joining.And, the pools that were built in black communities were often of poor quality and minimal size. Generations of black Americans could have learned to swim just as well as anyone. They were simply denied the proper opportunities to do so. So, the perception that black people can’t swim is ignorant. The reality that black people don’t swim is closer to the truth — USA Swimming estimates 70 percent of black children don’t know how to swim and the CDC says they’re 5½ times likelier to drown than white kids — and it’s a symptom of the errors of our forebears.” (from Jeff Passan)

When she talked to reporters, she was proud and humble. She was asked how she felt to be the first to break through yet another barrier for African Americans. She honored those who came before her in swimming in the Olympics. She recognized she would be an inspiration to black girls throughout the U.S.A., and said she hoped she would be. She will. When she took the podium, she still looked proud and humble.

Of course, I do not know for sure what she felt. This is what I saw. She amazed me.

Thanks to H. Nemesis Nyx.