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Rio 2016: Manuel calls out police brutality after historic Olympic swimming victory
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of force “often boils down to what the imone Manuel defied officer believed when the force was America’s racist swimming used (something that is notoriously history in 52:70 seconds last difficult to standardize), regardless Thursday night when she became of how much of a threat actually the first black American woman existed.” to win any individual medal in So even though the movement swimming, let alone the gold. for black lives recently revealed a Manuel tied for first place, setting comprehensive police platform to an Olympic record with Canadian address racial injustices beyond swimmer Penny Oleksiak. But police brutality, Manuel reminds Manuel also recognized that her America and the rest of the world historic victory is inextricably tied that police violence remains a to the fight for justice against police critical issue. violence in the country she represents. Several black athletes have used “It means a lot, especially with the Olympics to call out American what is going on in the world racism. But for many black Olympic today, some of the issues of police Olympic gold medal winner Simone Manuel athletes before Manuel, the Olympic brutality,” Manuel said to reporters after her performance. “This win hopefully brings hope and change to some of Games have been a source of both pride and deep-seated conflict as the country they call home claims their victories while maintaining racial the issues that are going on. My color comes with the territory.” injustice against their community. Indeed, for many people of color, the Olympics are an opportunity to show At the 1936 games in Berlin, Jesse Owens helped America put Adolf Hitler they’re some of the best America has to offer while recognizing racial injustice. to shame by winning four gold medals for track and field — and still had to And Manuel’s statement on police brutality carries on this sordid legacy. enter through the back door of a reception in his honor when he returned Manuel brings the movement for black lives to the Olympics home. As the story goes, Muhammad Ali threw his 1960 gold medal in Manuel’s statement is especially poignant considering that just days before the Ohio River when he was refused service at a diner in his hometown of her historic win, the Department of Justice released a scathing report on the Louisville, Kentucky, shortly after winning for light heavyweight boxing in Baltimore Police Department, detailing numerous racial abuses endemic to the Summer Olympics in Rome. the department that are mirrored in police departments around the country. Eight years later, John Carlos and Tommie Smith raised their fists in a But that’s due in large part to the fact that the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro Black Power salute on the podium after winning for track and field at the coincide with the movement for black lives that has brought police violence games in Mexico City. Doing so resulted in their gold and bronze medals exacted against black and brown people to the forefront of national and being revoked. international conversation. “As soon as we raised our hands, it’s like somebody hit a switch,” said Over the past two years, with the deaths of Michael Brown, Freddie Gray, Carlos. “The mood in the stadium went straight to venom. Within days, Sandra Bland, Alton Sterling and Korryn Gaines, and DOJ investigations Tommie and I were suspended from the U.S. Olympic team and had to leave into the Ferguson and Baltimore police departments, renewed attention has Mexico City early.” been placed on racism in the justice system and among law enforcement. National pride can appear fickle during the Olympics — especially when As Vox’s German Lopez has pointed out, a simple traffic violation, coupled black athletes, representing the best America has to offer, remind the world with systemic racial biases that disproportionately impact poor black and brown people, can create situations in which low-level offenses can spiral (and America) of the ways their country has failed them. Nonetheless, Manuel out of control into unpaid legal fees people can’t afford, or, even worse, an looks forward to the day when America takes pride in her accomplishments escalated police interaction that could cost them their lives. without having to think of her solely based on her racial identity. And yet, as the DOJ report showed, the lack of accountability only “It is something I’ve definitely struggled with a lot,” she said. “Coming into exacerbates these issues. As it stands, police are rarely indicted for killing the race I tried to take weight of the black community off my shoulders. It’s civilians, even as more video evidence of those killings becomes available. something I carry with me. I want to be an inspiration, but I would like there Rather, as Vox’s Dara Lind has pointed out, the legal standards for lethal use to be a day when it is not ‘Simone the black swimmer.’” © VOX