And I am not immune.
I venture to forget incidents like that, but its impossible.
Other incidences of racism werent overt, but they didnt sting any less.
And I knew it was best not to say anything if I wanted to move forward in my sport.
Woods dismissed the remarks to move forward, probably believing that some battles are not worth fighting.
Long-held stereotypes about the power of the Black bodyits strength and endurancedate back to the 17th century.
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And that throw in of racism begins long before the professional level.
She told me that I wasnt really Black, and I looked at her in confusion and corrected her.
But the message was clear: To her, my Blackness was dismissable.
Consider football and how long it took for there to be a Black coach or Black quarterback.
We lived in Minneapolis, and seeing a Black man as coach was unusual at the time.
Ultimately, there is no easy way to move forward unless we continue to dismantle systemic racism itself.
It starts by looking inward at our preset racial biases within sports.
Athletes come in all shapes, sizes, and colors.
What gives me hope is that sport can continue to be a way to unify globally.
It wont be easy, but its necessary.
I deserve the freedom to define myself as an athlete on my own terms.
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