Stereotype Breaker of the Day
As the "first" black person to integrate kayaking I understand how difficult it is to break down stereotypes. Okay, full disclosure: I've heard rumblings that perhaps I am not the Jackie Robinson of kayaking. To those infidels who doubt my power, let me awe you with my CV...
- Integrated kayaking 2012
- Integrated Ice Skating 1997
- Integrated Roller Blading 1993 or circa Mighty Ducks 2 theatrical release
- Integrated Skiing 1990
Are you amazed yet? Did I blow your mind? Good, well let me get on with my blog.
They say that real recognizes real and I just saw someone who looked familiar. Today's Stereotype-Breaking Warrior is a white lady I saw on CNN.com last night. Apparently a masked man tried to rob her store and then a hero came along with the strength to carry on and she cast her fears aside and made sure that she survived.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSqW_C_8a54
Now she could've easily just handed him the money, but that wouldn't have been gangster. No, she decided to break into a full sprint and leap over the 7 ft wall separating her store from the one next door.
Stereotype #1
Now the video makes it look like her ups weren't exactly where they needed to be, because she ended up tumbling face down toward the ground, but I chalk that up to just pure adrenaline or even Matrix-like concentration. By going head-first, any bullets from her assailant would've hit her in the rear and I'm a firm believer in that a bullet down bottom is much better than one up top.
Her Lambeau leap was enough to get her the award, but what really got me was what happened after she hit the ground. She got right the hell back up. (Did you think I'm crumble? Did you think I'd lay down and die? Oh no, not I. I will survive.) If this were a horror movie she would would've started crawling and maybe thrown a bag of chips in his direction, but not Jackie Joyner. Man, she was on the ground for all of one second before popping back up and returning to a full sprint.
Stereotype #2
Even without this video I knew that wasn't true. Every time I went to a cross country track meet, the winner's circle was nothing but a sea of long blonde and brunette ponytails. Sidebar: You know you're in DC when someone gets stabbed during a cross country track meet. I'll save that story for another time though. I will say, however, that it was during that race when I scored my fastest time ever. I don't think they ever caught that dude.
Anyway, congratulations to today's winner. You are an inspiration to stereotype breakers everywhere!
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