Black Women on Team USA Have to Play Two Games

BY AMIRA ROSE DAVIS via https://slate.com/

Seven Olympians—including Gwen Berry, Keturah Orji, and Natalie Hinds—reflect on the overwhelming month before Tokyo.

In the past month, Black women Olympians have found themselves at the center of various firestorms. Hammer thrower Gwen Berry faced a barrage of media attention after turning her back in protest on the podium at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on June 26, as “The Star-Spangled Banner” played by surprise during her medal ceremony. Berry, who has a history of protesting for racial justice, said she felt the event’s organizers targeted her personally by catching her off guard with the anthem. Then, after sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson became an overnight sensation for her supersonic qualifying sprint in the 100 meters and captivating post-race interview, she tested positive for marijuana—a substance that the World Anti-Doping Agency bans for competition—and was disqualified from the Tokyo Games. Despite being eligible for inclusion, Richardson was also then left off the U.S. 4×100-meter relay team. And after publicly baring painful details about an abortion to fight a

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