On Juneteenth, Sha’Carri Richardson secured her spot on the U.S. Olympic Team after winning the women’s 100 meter dash in Eugene, Oregon. Brooklee Han profiled Richardson’s journey toward the Olympic trials last week for D Magazine. I, like many Black Dallasites, feel an immense sense of pride and kinship toward Richardson. She represents the beauty of Black Dallas. She’s our Miss Juneteenth.
She carries and embodies the often overlooked and neglected culture of South Dallas and Oak Cliff, the two predominantly Black communities that raised her. It’s divine alignment that a young Black queer woman from Oak Cliff captivated the world’s attention on the first “federal” celebration of Juneteenth, a Black Texan holiday. I’ve never felt prouder to be Black, to be from Dallas, to be Texan, and to be Queer, than seeing Richardson make history on Saturday. To our Miss Juneteenth, thank you for taking Dallas with you worldwide. The city has your back when you make history in Tokyo.
To Greg Abbott and the Texas Legislature, make sure to archive her history in textbooks, since her win could be in conflict with the banning of critical race theory. Here’s a look at how the internet reacted.
O A K C L I F F, T X ❤️ pic.twitter.com/XWfeTLqhyM
— Demerick Gary (@coachdgary) June 21, 2021
"I just want the world to know that I'm THAT girl." 💥@itskerrii with this ENERGY.#TrackFieldTrials21 | #TokyoOlympics
📺 NBCSN pic.twitter.com/xh0535JfLw
— On Her Turf (@OnHerTurf) June 20, 2021
“I have to transform[the hate] into motivation cause very easily I could show them the Dallas in me” 😂😈
– @itskerrii pic.twitter.com/31gtrgmWxh— Travis Miller (@TravisMillerFlo) June 19, 2021
