Sha’ Carri Richardson was just being heralded in headlines for her victory in Women’s 100m competition at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials two weeks ago. As she smoked (a widely used term in the African American community to denote beating an opponent rapidly or by a significant distance) her competition with a time of 10.86 seconds, focus was also placed upon her hair, nails, and eye lashes. As the media focused on her extensions and accoutrements with curiosity in some instances and ridicule in others, masses of Black people embraced Sha’Carri and self-identified with her appearance and her statement of “I am that girl”. What was also stated at the time of her win was that Sha’Carri’s biological mother had recently passed away. As the story broke on June 2nd that Sha’ Carri tested positive for marijuana and,per a 30-day suspension, she would be ineligible to compete in the 100-meter race, Black people were devastated, and questions arose about the mental health support that was given to her in her time of grief. Was Sha’Carri given support for her mental health following her biological mother’s death prior to being tested or was she only supported physically during that time in effort to see the qualifying trials to completion? As this question lingers in the balance alongside the wonder of whether Sha’ Carri will be able to compete in the 4×100 meter relay, what is of most importance is that she be shrouded in support at this time. In times of loss the human grieving processes can prove to be trying but that is part of the human experience. As Sha’Carri stated after the news of her suspension broke “I am human…” and she deserves to be treated as such. To the readers of this article, not only is Sha’Carri one of the fastest people in the world, “that girl”, or this era’s Flo Jo, she is a young Black woman worthy of support and embrace over ridicule at this time.
