Video: UCLA Gymnast Sophina DeJesus Whips, Nae Naes And Slays

*This video has been making the rounds of the interwebs for several days now, but what I like about this story is that it puts the video in context. The video, is exciting because it shows an Afrolatina athlete performing a routine “deeply rooted in blackness” when “Black female athletes, especially the ones who make it to the very top, have faced a history of being criticized for their bodies, their hair and their strength.” It’s also a very cool video. VL

By Leah Donnella, Code Switch

In 1996, when Dominque Dawes became the first black woman to win an individual gymnastics medal at the Atlanta Summer Olympics, critics said her look wasn’t quite right.

In 2012, Gabby Douglas became the first black woman to win the title of individual all-around champion at the London Summer Olympics. She was then asked again and again to comment on critiques about her hair.

Black female athletes, especially the ones who make it to the very top, have faced a history of being criticized for their bodies, their hair and their strength. In performative sports, like gymnastics, figure skating and ballet, they’re often subject to more elusive critiques about style and grace. The exact meaning of these comments can be hard to pin down, but they still send a clear message: This is not a black woman’s sport. Black women don’t belong here.

Which is part of what makes a video that went viral this weekend so exciting. It shows a young woman named Sophina DeJesus, a senior on the gymnastics team at UCLAwho identifies as African-American and Puerto Rican, incorporating dance moves into her Saturday floor routine that are strongly rooted in blackness.

Click HERE to read the full story and watch the video.