The abuse of Gabby Douglas
Four years ago, at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Gabby Douglas became the first black American woman to win gymnastics’ most prestigious title: Olympic individual all-around champion. She was 16 at the time, a bundle of flash and grace in a metallic leotard. Looking back at her best event, the uneven bars, is like watching a superhero use her powers for the first time.
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At a press conference on Sunday, Douglas was on the verge of tears. Some of it was due to her dismal performance at the event finals, where she finished in seventh place. But Douglas has also had to deal with some challenges that few other American athletes have had to endure at these Olympic Games.
Prior to the Olympics, many questioned whether she should even be on the team. After the team’s gold medal win, Douglas’s hair became the subject of ridicule again, a flashback to 2012. When that subsided, she was told she wasn’t a good American because she didn’t place her hand over her heart during the national anthem. And leading up to the event final for the bars, she had to assure people she was a good teammate because she apparently didn’t appear happy enough in the stands while rooting for teammates Aly Raisman and Simone Biles.
Generally, the coverage of this games has been mediocre and noticeably sexist, but the treatment of Douglas is a new low. WTF do people want with her?
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She would have been contending for all-around gold again, except that her own team was so deep in talent that she couldn't even qualify, even though she was third highest in points overall. And the timing is hard when your own teammate is a once in a generation talent. To me, Douglas looked like a thoughtful, intense, highly intelligent young lady who was coming to terms with adulthood and her own limits and goals. Nothing she said or did was bad sportsmanship. It was her demeanor and "tone" that people objected to 
. Being unhappy is just part of competing at a high level. Being exhausted and stressed out of your mind is also a big part of that. There is no way to be great if you are not constantly dissatisfied with yourself and your performance. Other athletes are given the space to do that. But not Gabby 
And this is symbolic of what we, as a culture, do to our most gifted black members. Just pepper them with bullshit and negativity until they question their own sanity. It is such a waste.
