No cap is a widely used term in African American culture to affirm that a person is not lying. It’s no cap that a swim cap designed for Black natural hair is banned from the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo and the notion that inequality still exists in the arena of sports, is also no lie. By saying no to a cap that is ergonomically designed for the hair of Black swimmers—swimmers are indeed working athletes, so work conducive gear is warranted—The International Swimming Federation, FINA, is ignoring Black culture. Hair is a matter of being for Black people throughout the world and for many Black people water both compliments and compromises hair (for example many of us love a shampoo experience but fear immersing our hair in water albeit rain, sweat, or pool submersion), so the creation of the Soul Cap is revolutionary because it allows for us to be in the water without sacrificing our hair style or hair health. The complex relationship between Black hair and water is also related to the political and economic history of Black bodies in Westernized societies wherein there are several instances of Black people meeting death in the Atlantic Ocean during slavery, Black bodies being used as bait for sea animals, whites-only swimming pools, banned entry into swimming competitions etc. With that history and those relationships in mind, products that promote a healthy relationship between Black people and water or water sports are necessary.
While the FINA organization has released a statement regarding a review of Soul Cap on Friday June 2nd, which stated, “FINA is currently reviewing the situation with regards to “Soul Cap” and similar products, understanding the importance of inclusivity and representation” and “FINA expects to make its consideration of “Soul Cap” and similar products part of wider initiatives aimed at ensuring there are no barriers to participation in swimming, which is both a sport and a vital life skill”, it is important for FINA, other water sports leaders, and people in general to understand that matters of Blackness including hair are not merely preferences but needs validated within Black experiences and identity. While inequality and discrimination may not always as appear in the overt forms of exclusion and abuse, when people fail to investigate systems and policies, they are thwarting efforts at inclusion and diversity, and that neglect can be just as harmful. In the coming weeks we hope to see Black Olympians like Alice Dearing wearing and competing on the world stage in caps designed for Black hair such as the Soul Cap, such an act has the power to move efforts of equality forward while increasing positive representation of Black people in sports.