The most accomplished gymnast in history, Simone Biles, has been in the news lately for her incredible Olympic accomplishments. But rather of recognizing her accomplishments, some people were more interested on her hair. Biles addressed these concerns head-on without holding back.
In order to focus on their routines, gymnasts frequently style their hair to keep it out of their faces. Even Nevertheless, there were a lot of hurtful remarks regarding Biles’ hair on social media despite her extraordinary talent and achievement. It was dubbed untidy or messy by some.
Biles responded by addressing the detractors on social media. She posted a picture of herself with her hair tied back into a ponytail along with a message that blocked out the critical remarks. With assurance, Biles wrote, “Don’t come after me over my hair. It’s finished, but the bus is extremely hot and doesn’t have air conditioning. Not to mention a 45-minute ride. She can be seen in the picture below, fanning her face in the heat and saying, “JUST DON’T the next time you wanna comment on a Black girl’s hair.”
Biles has been transparent about the pressures put on her as a gymnast and about her hair journey. She acknowledged in an Elle interview that Black women were inspired to take better care of their hair and beauty regimens by social media. She said she was no longer embarrassed by her hair, but she used to worry about how people would see it in terms of professionalism.
Unsurprisingly, once Biles received criticism, a large number of devoted supporters defended her. Imagine being the type of person who watches Simone Biles do tricks no one else can, like spin around in the air several times and land on her feet, only to remark on her hair! One fan wrote. Could you picture yourself with that mindset? “People are worried about Simone Biles’ hair while she’s out here making history,” said a second commenter. We as a society are truly cooked.
In addition to being a remarkable athlete, Simone Biles is an inspiration due to her fortitude and capacity to take constructive criticism. Her message is very clear: pay attention to her amazing athletic prowess rather than her hair.
