Speak Out: Do you care about the lack of Black participation in the Winter Olympics?

Created on Wednesday, 10 March 2010 11:30 Last Updated on Monday, 03 December 2012 19:20 Published on Wednesday, 10 March 2010 11:30 Written by Courier Newsroom Hits: 989

There were very few Black participants in the recent Winter Olympics so we asked Pittsburghers what their take was. Here’s what you said:

“I wasn’t really interested in the Winter Olympics except for the hockey. The African-American I did know who played hockey is one of the best in the world, although he played for the Canadians. But as a whole I wasn’t really interested because these aren’t sports that African-Americans participate in. 
Brian Smith
Penn Hills
Self-employed

“My view on it is it’s a Caucasian sport, it’s for Anglo Saxons. Speaking of me, I do know there’s one guy, I watched him a couple of times, I think he won silver and a gold medal. That’s fine speed skating. I like speed skating, but racing down the hillside at 80 miles I’m not interested. No it didn’t bother me.”
Steven Rucker
Black Ridge
UPMC

“I watch the skating I saw the USA girls, the Chinese but I didn’t see any minorities. Yes, it bothered me, I remember years ago when Sugar Ray Leonard was there and there was one ice skater.”
Myra Mangum
Oakland
Home-maker

“African-Americans aren’t known that much for participating in winter sports. We’re not avid skiers, we’re not avid ice skaters, we don’t typically do those things so I’m not really surprised that we weren’t greatly represented. I’m not disappointed either and I don’t really see why one would be. We’re represented well in the Summer Olympics and that’s good enough.”
Neicy Readie
Schenley Heights
Flight attendant

“It’s Winter Olympics, of course we know we participate in Summer Olympics. I did enjoy watching it. I enjoy the Winter Olympics, I like the snow. There was an African-American skater. There was also African skier, he’s from Ghana. It doesn’t bother me since it’s not something that we generally partake in.”
Robin Woods
Summer Hill
Auditor

“As far as lack of participation, we did have some. Shawnee Davis won a sliver and gold medal. We had someone from Ghana who participated even though he didn’t stand a chance of winning any medals, at least he was there participating for Africa. I’m not upset that there wasn’t a huge participation of African-Americans there but we did have some and they did well.”
Delsean Hart
Carnegie
Shenango farmer

(Compiled by Gail Manker, photos by Gail Manker.)