this post was submitted on 26 Sep 2023

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Black girl at centre of Irish gymnastics race row ‘badly let down’, says ministry [video] (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 1 year ago by 0x815@feddit.de to c/europe@feddit.de

41 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Video of the event in March 2022 shows a judge handing out medals for participation to a line of young gymnasts, but ignoring the only black girl. A photographer, coach and other officials fail to intervene. A mediation settlement reached with the family involved the judge taking anti-racism training.

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[–] rikudou@lemmings.world 67 points 1 year ago (5 children)

I don't understand it, seriously. I can understand that some people are racist. What I don't understand is how he can't pretend he's not racist when cameras are pointed at him. Seriously, it's not that hard - there are a few clients I hate to get on a call with but they all love me because I'm always polite and helpful, because that's part of my fucking job.

[–] darq@kbin.social 35 points 1 year ago

"Racism is bad. I'm a good person. Therefore what I did wasn't racism."

But yeah, it's infuriating when bigots can be absolutely unequivocally bigoted, and then casually say "not bigoted tho" like it's a spell that absolves them of guilt.

[–] Chariotwheel@kbin.social 28 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That's systemic racism. The judge probably didn't get up and thought "let's not give a medal to the black kid". She just passively didn't perceive her as someone that would be worthy to get a medal or that should be noted.

[–] Daisyifyoudo@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

"Probably" 🙄

[–] RQG@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago

Must... Contain.... Racism.... Aaaaah. Oh shit failed again.

[–] BruceTwarzen@kbin.social 8 points 1 year ago

I don't understand how people are racist and obviously proud amongst their friends, but in public they hide it, often pathetically. How can you believe in something you have to hide from the public. Say what you think then, i'm not giving the n-word girl a medal, that's what you think.

[–] UnculturedSwine@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

To pretend one is not racist, one must first understand that they are being racist.

[–] rikudou@lemmings.world 3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I mean, how can you not notice that you've given a medal to everyone except the one black kid?

[–] UnculturedSwine@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago

You'd be surprised. I was raised by people like this and they would emotionally explode if you ever even so much as suggest that they are being racist.

[–] BradleyUffner@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Because, in their head, they have a perfectly good, totally not racist at all reason that their behavior is justified.

[–] TTH4P@lemm.ee 65 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Video is damning. Feel so bad for this kid. :(

[+] robo@feddit.uk 6 points 1 year ago (3 children)

[deleted]

[–] Draedron@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Then they wouldnt wait a year to apologize and only do it after the video went viral. If it happened to me I would apologize SO much instantly

[–] lloram239@feddit.de 1 points 1 year ago

It wasn't an issue until the brainless Internet hate mob made it one.

[–] Firipu@startrek.website 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Then why, in an initial statement, did the gymnastics federation claim it was not racism but an issue between the judge and the family directly. That doesn't indicate it was an honest mistake. Also, if it was an honest mistake, she would have gone back a few min later to give her the medal and apologize. The kid only got her medal x days later.

[–] Empricorn@feddit.nl 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

It may not be your intent, but this is how racism is accepted and flourishes: by not acknowledging it or hand-waving it away. And no, "it can't be racism because then it would be blatant and obvious racism" is not an acceptable argument.

You keep referring to details not in the articles, or reasons that the judge might have had, rather than what's 100% obvious and in our faces. Watch the video. The judge had chances during and after to correct her "mistake", but no. The medals weren't too tangled to be given to the the girl before and they seemed to be untangled for the girl after. The end result was a line of young gymnasts, and the little black girl is the only one standing there not wearing a medal.

And to be clear, others share the blame for not questioning or intervening at the time. That's why this is an issue of systemic racism, rather than just one incident...

[–] lloram239@feddit.de 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

You know how racism flourishes? By everybody shutting their brain off and joining a hate mob.

rather than what’s 100% obvious and in our faces.

What is 100% obvious about this? You can clearly see her engaging with the kid, fumbling with the medals, get slightly distracted by something and skipping her. Then the kids look a little confused. Woman hands out more medals until she runs out of metals and has to pick up some more. Meanwhile a photographer jumps in who doesn't seem to have noticed the mistake either. She returns with more medals and starts handing them out, right to left this time. The video ends before she even finished handing out medals. So for all I know she might have handed her one a few seconds later, it's simply not in the video (Edit: slightly more complete video).

If I'd be a racist I'd say some nasty words to the kid to get a reaction out of her, not just let her stand around looking mildly confused of what's going on.

Chapter "To Err Is Human" (page 105) in The Design of EverydayThings is worth a read on the topic of mind slips. And Points of view is worth a watch on the topic of "how much can I tell from a couple of seconds video".

[–] apis@beehaw.org 3 points 1 year ago

The way she starts beaming even more the clearer the situation becomes just kills me.

By contrast, I like how the child to her immediate right seems to be wondering why she wasn't given a medal, and looks around as if she's hoping to summon someone's attention to address the problem. She looks too young to twig the reason for the omission, but she sure seems to get that this is not how things should go down.

[–] AnonStoleMyPants@sopuli.xyz 65 points 1 year ago (1 children)

None of these organisations made any public comment on the girl’s treatment at the time and it would be another year before the family got an apology from Gymnastics Ireland, after the video went viral internationally.

Holy shit. A fucking year? And obviously only after this thing went viral. They just hoped that nobody paid enough attention and that it would all blow over. And no comment during this happening. Disgraceful behaviour.

[–] Kissaki@feddit.de 46 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

What the fuck - that double double take - but then moves on

[–] Chariotwheel@kbin.social 31 points 1 year ago (1 children)

“[May] said it wasn’t a racist incident at all, the medals just got tangled,” said Ken McCue, who was co-founder of Sari and has been helping the family.

???

[–] Son_of_dad@lemmy.world 10 points 1 year ago (1 children)

But when she untangled them she knowingly skipped the black kid. She even stopped like she was going back but didn't

[–] Xianshi@lemm.ee 20 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

That's fucking bullshit. Someone one there should have called them out on this.

[–] autotldr@lemmings.world 15 points 1 year ago

This is the best summary I could come up with:

Una May, the CEO of Sports Ireland, said the judge who ignored the only black gymnast in the competition lineup had got the medals “tangled up”, in comments witnessed by at least two people outside the family.

In her initial emails the girl’s mother was clear that she was worried about systemic racism and the safety of all young athletes in the sport, and was not only seeking a response to the distress and pain her daughter had endured.

None of these organisations made any public comment on the girl’s treatment at the time and it would be another year before the family got an apology from Gymnastics Ireland, after the video went viral internationally.

The Department of Tourism, Culture, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media said it had asked for an investigation as soon as it heard about the incident and condemned the slow response from Gymnastics Ireland.

McCue said the apology from Gymnastics Ireland did not go far enough, and the executive staff needed to attend anti-racism training sessions to understand the harm such incidents did and protect young athletes.

Ogden also said the official response to the video in Ireland, which has largely focused on the behaviour of the individual handing out medals, failed to capture systemic issues.

The original article contains 882 words, the summary contains 209 words. Saved 76%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!

[–] luthis@lemmy.nz 11 points 1 year ago (3 children)

"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity."

On camera in front of millions of people is the last place you would want to be racist. I think she was just an airhead. Actually, either way she's an idiot. I just don't buy the narrative of her thinking “yeah, im not going to give this kid her medal, that'll teach her! Haha I am so effective at being racist!”

[–] SouthEndSunset@lemm.ee 20 points 1 year ago

Not sure if you've noticed but they're a lot more confident now.

[–] MummifiedClient5000@feddit.dk 19 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Most racists are both stupid and malicious.

[–] Honytawk@lemmy.zip 5 points 1 year ago

A smart racist is an oxymoron.

[–] Tikiporch@lemmy.world 14 points 1 year ago (1 children)

On the other hand, I disagree with everything you've said there. I don't have a quote to make people believe me instead of you though.

[–] luthis@lemmy.nz -3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

On camera in front of millions of people is the first place you would want to be racist??

[–] Draedron@lemmy.dbzer0.com 16 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You assume racists think that far. They love to spite black people and if they can humiliate them in front of cameras even better. They can always claim later they "forgot"

[–] luthis@lemmy.nz 6 points 1 year ago

You assume racists think that far.

Good point.

[–] anzo@programming.dev 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Maybe. Like, to make a point. Also, to me and you probably a racist mind is a bit of an enigma. In anycase, I'd put the focus more on the girl(s) that on the perpetrator. Of course the judge can't do much on that regard, but Institutions, government, and the likes should. Same applies to us.

[–] FarraigePlaisteach@kbin.social -4 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I find myself feeling really bad for both the kid and the person handing out the medal.

In a room full of one skin colour and one or two outliers, I can imagine myself being socially clumsy enough to not see them at first and then feel too embarrassed or scared to admit why I overlooked them. I bet it’s even happened to me.

The organisation made an entire mess of this and made the life’s of all concerned more painful.

[–] ialvoi@feddit.de 13 points 1 year ago (2 children)

It seems you kind of understood systemic racism. The person who looks different than the 20 people next to them will experience this on the regular. Which, considering it objectively, is shitty for them to happen to and shitty to be done by the rest.

[–] FarraigePlaisteach@kbin.social 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yes, I assume if this happens once then it happens more regularly. It sounds absolutely draining.

I think people don't realise that racism doesn't just mean intentional and pre-meditated behaviour, but also inherent biases. Biases that we should really be educated on to make the lives of our fellow humans better.

[–] ParsnipWitch@feddit.de -1 points 1 year ago

Exactly it's important to acknowledge the different ways of how racism can show.

It's quite possible the person didn't have a malicious or racist intent at that moment. It's still racist and people need awareness to tackle that subconscious racism. That's why talking about it and bringing it to the news is so important.

Not saying you wanted to stop the discussion, btw. Just wanted to add to it.

[–] paysrenttobirds@sh.itjust.works 0 points 1 year ago

Yes, this is the key. I don't think she was making a point and even at the end it seems another girl also didn't get a medal because the judge ran out, so probably not intentional. BUT, the effect is so much more damaging because these kinds of things ARE sometimes meant as signals and so it should have been dealt with directly. If she had immediately acknowledged that it could be felt that way and said "racism has no place in gymnastics", you still wouldn't know if she was lying but at least racists could not take comfort from the organization's tacit acceptance of how racist it looked.

[–] Ilflish@lemm.ee 0 points 1 year ago

It's one of those points where a simple question would have solved a huge issue either way. Just people afraid to cause any commotion. I'm not asking to berate or assume the worst, just ask "why did you skip that girl. Even if you are a pansy shit, you don't have to confront until they are blunt about it.