MSNBC’s Ayman Mohyeldin is joined by Danielle Obe, black swimming association co-founder and chair to discuss the Olympic’s ban of Soul Caps. A swim cap designed to protect natural black hair.
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Black Swimming Association Co-Founder On Olympic Swim Cap Ban | MSNBC
Black doesn’t count – ask Harry Styles. He knows all about that.
Shame on you Harry Styles!
The only consideration in the status of this or any swim cap is “does it provide an unfair advantage”? The ruling only states that the cap might provide some advantage but doesn’t provide any science to back up the supposition.
@Thyalwaysseek I don’t really understand your question. The point here is that the caps worn by swimmers with black, textured hair are being banned, which is super f-ed up. (If you don’t how textured hair is different from other hair you should google it, it’s very interesting.)
@Thyalwaysseek I changed my mind, they should all have to wear antlers.
@Chere Todd You think some white people don’t have thick curly hair? Maybe you should get out more often and observe the different hair types white people have. Should we make special rules for all of them too? So what does a white swimmer do when they want to compete at an Olympic level and must comply with the regulations and they have thick curly or long hair? They cut it. Are you saying that if a black person is expected to do the same that it’s somehow racist or unfair?
@Thyalwaysseek , curly hair isn’t the same as textured hair….Also, not the point… I still don’t get your perspective. You think a larger cap that accommodates more hair should be banned from competition?
@Thyalwaysseek, and yes, if a white gal with long hair wants to wear a cap that fits, that should definitely be allowed. Why wouldn’t it be?
I would have loved a cap that held in my hair. I have long very thick curly hair. The “allowed” caps tear the hair and are totally inefficient.
Unless you’re black nobody cares.
@Thyalwaysseek 11 other people agree with me. Unless you competitively swim you should Stfu.
I need that cap for my Darnell Hillman 1970 fro.
This is insane! “Looks unusual” is not a good reason to ban it.
@Sean. Plenty of that “unusual looks” is black women having all the synthetic.& hairs from other races.
As a black guy, I find it not only disgusting but it’s economically deleterious to black communities ‘cos all that money going to India & Korea for what?. If you have extensions, don’t whine if your cap gets banned.
The fact that blacks are upset is enough to ban it
Yeah it does…
It’s like a boxer using diffrend gloves…
Unless it’s shaped in a point, like a Conehead, then it could only be a hindrance and create more drag. What’s the hubbub? It’s not like it’s giving anyone an advantage over anyone else. Peoples bodies are not shaped exactly the same, would the head shape be any different? One head more aquatically dynamic than another? Lol.
Actually Black female swimmers often have trouble wearing competition swim swimsuits, because their is no allowance for differently sized and shaped bodies, leading to ill fitting and immodest appearing suits for Black athletes.
@ruth depew true. There was a story recently that a black hs swimmer was blocked from competing cuz her suit fit her in “too suggestive a manner”… wtf?
Why don’t they just cut their hair like Caucasians with very long hair have to do to fit their hair into the approved swimming caps?
Thyalwaysseek no one should have to cut their hair, regardless of race, to fit their hair into a swimming cap. Do you really think that makes sense overall? Not talking about the “rules” but do you honestly think that makes sense?
Swim caps are swim caps, have been for a hundred years. Not sure why they are banned but it would apply to all users. My opinion
This is what we call “soft news.”
Don’t ban the cap. If anything it will be detrimental to any swimmers who chose to wear such a large cap/bundle on the back of the head. They would get a lot of drag in the water. Can you imagine doing back stroke. It’s not hard to see that certain ethnic group specialise in certain sports. I don’t think not having a swimming cap is going to deter the young black people from swimming like this woman was inferring .
According to the 2020 FINA Olympic rule book, manufacturers of new styles of swimwear and caps that include “a new design, construction, or material” must “submit the swimwear to FINA to obtain its approval” before it is used at a competition.
Has there been a study on the hydrodynamic benefits of “not fitting the natural shape of the head”? Surely someone could do a fluid simulation of a regular cap vs a larger one?
What does modesty have anything to do with competitive swimming?
Duncan Goodhew was a British Olympic swimmer who suffered from alopecia , why was this not a technical issue when having natural cultural hair is ? I totally fail to understand why allowing something as simple as a swim cap that accommodates natural black hair is a problem when having no hair as a white European suffering from a hereditary problem is not.
Katie Ledecky has already proven everything she needs to prove in competition. So let’s have her wear one at the Olympics. That would be something.
Lets just skip the competition and give them the gold.
Unless there’s a hidden propeller, I don’t see how this cap could be considered anything but a disadvantage.
All races have beautiful hairs & “bad hair days”. As an African, I find it dishonest for black women to have tons of extensions synthetic or hairs from other races, literally glued & weaved on their heads & then complain about “blacks’ hair shape” when banned. Please…
One country (Israel) has a population of 9 million and nobody else speaks for them or pushes them around. Another country (USA) has an African American population of 40 million however it allows anyone to speak for them. Experiences shared over a lifetime take a back seat to “similar appearances”. (I don’t need the British speaking up for me personally).
If the cap does not provide a competitive advantage (streamlining) — then the decision is pure rubbish.