This is truly turning into a historic barrier breaking era for people of color. There is a black man in the White House, and now there is a black couple on the white ice on the Olympics.
French pairs skaters Yannick Bonheur and Vanessa James are set to create history on Sunday when they become the first black couple to compete in figure skating at the Olympic Games…
Bonheur said they were determined that their Olympic experience will lay the groundwork for future successes, after they finished seventh at Europeans.
“This is just the beginning. We want to make a name for ourselves so that they’ll remember us for next season,” he said.
Being tagged the first black pairs skaters is not a disadvantage, they insist.
“It’s often been remarked that we look different on the ice. So we want to highlight that,” said Bonheur.
“We want to climb the ladder to show that black skaters can stand on the podium.”
I love to see stories like this. This is the type of example that black children need to see. They need to see people that look like them in every facet of life. They need to see black actors, black football coaches and players, black hockey players, black lawyers, black doctors, black politicians, black scientist, black engineers, black tennis players and black ice skaters. They need to see the possibilities. They need to really believe and see proof that the color of their skin will not hold them back, that whatever their dream, their talent…they can pursue it. They need to see real life examples of their possible potential, that the only paths to success are not wrapped up with a ball, a microphone or a gun.
Just in time for February, a news item in the true spirit of Black History Month.
