It Matters

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Lately it seems Little Man has been surrounded by inspiration and aspiration; so many arenas of life have allowed him to see himself as what he could be someday.  Whether they are moments big or small, it's clear that he is absorbing all of them.

Husband is a huge fan of cycling, so following the Tour de France each year is a must.  This year cyclist Biniam Girmay of Eritrea made history -- not only was he the first black African rider to win the green jersey (awarded to the top sprinter of the race), he was the first black African rider to win a tour stage (and in fact won three of them).  Little Man already loves riding his bike in our cul-de-sac, but after watching the Tour he would race down the driveway calling, "I am Tour de France!"  Somewhere in his mind, he sees himself in that green jersey.

Little Man has also recently started gymnastics.  It really started out of a desire to have him climb and jump over something other than our couch, but he has really enjoyed it so far.  With the Olympics about to begin, showing him what Simone Biles has accomplished is obvious.  However, we are also excited to watch Fred Richard.  He is already the first American male athlete since 2010 to win a world gymnastics championship all-around medal and the youngest American male gymnast ever to win an individual medal; in a recent interview with NBC Boston, Fred revealed he's well aware of his place in history and welcomes the responsibility that comes with being an African-American male gymnast – especially someone so overwhelmingly successful thus far.  As he admitted, "I've realized a lot of Black kids are looking up to me nowadays and I think it's amazing to see that I'm that person leading the chase."  I can certainly think of one Little Man who agrees.

On a national level, the stage has been set for the possibility of the first Black, female President with Vice-President Kamala Harris (already a history maker) entering the race.  While I'm not here to debate politics with anyone -- there is an appropriate time and place for that, and this isn't it -- I am overjoyed that Little Man lives in a time where that door is even open.  There will also be a lesson in how points of progress and pride can also become points of contention and discrimination, but the overarching hope is that the power of representation comes through.  The more Little Man sees excellence and achievement, the closer it will be to grasp for himself.

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