Olympian Sharrieffa Barksdale’s One Step Closer Gala: Build That Track
Olympian Sharrieffa Barksdale's One Step Closer Gala in Harriman, Tennessee, raised funds for high school track renovations, uniting top athletes and artists, inspiring students, and receiving generous community contributions. We discuss it here.
Sharrieffa Barksdale poses outside of her One Step Closer Gala held in Harriman, Tennessee. (Photo by Gentel Sharrie)
By: Gentel Sharrie
The One Step Closer Gala was a success. Held in Harriman, Tennessee, this event was organized by Olympian Sharrieffa Barksdale to raise funds for track renovations at her high school's track, which was named after her in 1984. Sharrieffa's Gala brought together top Olympic track athletes, coaches, Olympic staff, and artists from around the world. Before the Gala kicked off, Sharrieffa visited Roane County High School to deliver a motivational speech to the students, emphasizing the importance of pursuing their dreams and working hard to achieve their goals. Following her speech at Roane County High School, the City of Harriman, Tennessee, including the fire department, police department, and Mayor Wayne Best, presented Sharrieffa Barksdale with a $5,000 check to support her track renovation project.
Sharrieffa Barksdale Foundation
Photo Cred: Gentel Sharrie
This is Sharrieffa’s second year having her Gala, and the town of Harriman, Tennessee came out and supported. From the food to the music, everyone really enjoyed themselves. Sharrieffa’s Sorority was also in attendance, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. and they were able to make a gracious contribution and donation to the cause. Right now Sharrieffa has raised over $60,000 to go towards the Sharrieffa Barksdale Track and is continuing to raise more money until she reaches the goal. The track right now is a concrete track and the renovation will consist of an asphalt bound surface. The track will be a great tool for Harriman High School. They can build a great track team or have the next Olympic athlete.
Sharrieffa Barksdale was born in Harriman, Tennessee. She went to college at University of Tennessee where she received her track scholarship and ended up turning into an Olympic athlete. Sharrieffa is a 12 X All American, 4 NCAA Titles, 11 SEC Titles, University of Tennessee NCCA Champion, 1981 Women’s AIAW Outdoor National Champion, Silver Medalist at the 1983 Pan American Games, American Record Holder in the 400 Meter Hurdles, 1984 Olympian, served as the staff multiple times for the United States Olympic Team, and is the USATF Alumni Association Manager.
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Sha'Carri Richardson's Historic World Champion Victory
Sha’Carri Richardson breaks records and boundaries with her historic win at the 2023 World Athletics Championship! We discuss it here!
Shacarri Richardson wins world athletics championship
Photo Credit: Getty Images
By: Joshua Martin
US Sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson brought home the trophy dramatically Monday at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary. She barely edged ahead to capture the victory in an entertaining women’s 100 meters final. Richardson, who started in the less-than-desirable lane 9, won the gold setting a personal best while simultaneously setting a championship record with 10.65 seconds. That's only .16 seconds behind the world record set by the late great Florence Griffith Joyner. Richardson is currently tied for the title of fifth-fastest woman over 100 meters in history.
Sha’Carri Richardson was FLYING!#WordAthleticsChamps pic.twitter.com/1A0gTMmjGy
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 21, 2023
The American and Jamaican rivalry was alive and well in the women’s 100 as Jamaican sprinters finished second and third. Olympic bronze medalist Shericka Jackson earned the silver medal in 10.72 seconds. Two-time Olympic gold medalist and the 2022 100-meter champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce claimed the bronze in 10.77 seconds.
“I feel amazing. I feel like hard work pays off. I’ve been dedicating myself. I’ve been keeping my faith strong this season and just believing and knowing whatever you practice is what you put forward, and I’m grateful. ”
The 23-year-old has been on pace to become one of the biggest stars on the track but was hit with a one-month suspension in 2021 after testing positive for marijuana. She later expressed that her actions were a result of her mourning her mother. Despite the negativity and push back Sha’carri remained dedicated to her craft and is now a world champion. Richardson shared that running in the outside lane on Monday was symbolic of her determination and focus.
“I was by myself in my own world, which honestly has been like that all my life. I’ve always been in my own world, my own element, so being in lane 9 was perfect for me to do what it is I know to do and to focus more on myself. And when I celebrated it was because I felt like I did my best no matter what the result was going to be. I felt like I did my best. ”
The World Athletics Championship was her first global event since the Olympics. The 2023 champion is also slated to compete in the 200 meters which will be contested Wednesday through Friday. Sha’Carri has performed extremely well this season, posting a then-world-best time of 10.71 in the 100 meters at the US Championships. The LSU standout is also one of six women in the pool for the 4x100-meter relay team. Richardson continues to break records and boundaries as she is now the first American 100-meter world champion in six years.
A moment Sha'Carri Richardson will never forget! ❤️#WorldAthleticsChamps pic.twitter.com/klzfP7kmHn
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) August 21, 2023
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Usain Bolt's Advice To Sha'Carri Richardson Benefits Every Athlete
Track superstar Usain Bolt gave some sound words of advice for U.S. champion, Sha’Carri Richardson that every athlete could benefit from, “train harder and to be focused.”
By: Omar Cook
Sha’Carri Richardson has been making headlines for quite some time now as she has emerged as track and fields’ biggest stars but it has not come without controversy. After being disqualified from the 2021 Olympics this summer, Richardson was forced to set her attention to her next race at the Prefontaine Classic.
Sha’Carri was very vocal about her previous performances leading up to this highly anticipated race with Jamaican sensations Elaine Thompson-Herah and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, as of course any elite athlete should feel confident about winning. Unfortunately, her cockiness was not taken well publicly after she placed last place in the 100m race taking 9th place in her first race back since her U.S. Olympic trials race.
In early September, Sha’Carri once again hit the track in the Diamond League this time taking 4th place in the 200m. Much improved from 9th place as she begins to find her groove once again.
Track superstar Usain Bolt gave some sound words of advice for the U.S. champion.
I would tell Sha’Carri to train harder and to be focused and not say too much … If you talk that big talk you have to back it up,” Bolt said. “So just train hard and focus on that and try to come back do it and then talk about it.”
Bolt mentioned that the Jamaican women had added incentive to beat Sha’Carri due to her public comments.
“Jamaicans were vexed because she was talking a lot of s**t before the actual race, it is just one of those things,” he said. “Jamaicans don’t like when people talk s**t about us because we are a very proud people. So if you talk about us we are gonna want you to back it up. It definitely gave those women the extra push [to win.]”
Bolt has delt with athletes that have been outwardly vocal in the past as he went head to head with Justin Gatlin in the 2016 Olympics.
“That was my thing with Justin Gatlin — because he’s the one that was always talking — so that gives me that energy like, ‘All right you think you’re gonna win let’s go!’ So it does give you that extra boost to wanna beat that person,” he said of Gatlin. Gatlin finished second to Bolt in the 2016 Olympics.
Sha’Carri Richardson is definitely one of track’s hottest stars as she currently has run the 6th fastest time in history in the 100m in 10.72 seconds, but Richardson will have to deal with being humbled for the time being. Like the old saying goes, if you talk the talk you gotta walk the walk. Richardson will definitely be back on top but at this moment, her talking needs to be done with results.
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The Olympics’ Recent Rulings Reinforce The Historic Demonization Of Black Womanhood
Some of the recent rulings made by the Olympics, particularly against Black women, invoke double standards and reinforce the historic demonization of Black womanhood. We discuss it here!
Gwen Berry and Sha’Carri Richardson
By: Cory Utsey
The Tokyo Summer Olympics commence in a mere two weeks. Through the various Olympic Trials, spectators were able to witness the raw talent of a number of athletes across the world.
For Black women athletes especially, household names such as Simone Biles and Allyson Felix maintained their projected success, while newcomers such as Sha’Carri Richardson claimed the hearts of many. It seemed as though there would be many Black women that would dominate their respective sports.
But unfortunately, excelling within one’s sport is not good enough. Many Black women athletes have faced much scrutiny, at times complete disqualification, while the political and cultural agency of Black athletes as a whole has been limited. Black athletes are not allowed to wear regalia related to the Black Lives Matter movement, nor are any athletes permitted to express any form of political messaging, due to the International Olympic Committee’s Rule 50. And while the International Swimmer Federation (FINA) is currently in the process of reviewing the decision to disallow Black athletes from wearing swim caps made for Black natural hair, the rule’s initial existence is indicative of the way in which widely used standards are often centered around whiteness.
For many people, some of the recent rulings made by the Olympics, particularly against Black women, invoke double standards and reinforce the historic demonization of Black womanhood.
Sha’Carri Richardson Disqualified for Marijuana
Sha’Carri Richardson - Credit: Steph Chambers
Although marijuana is legal in many US cities, including Oregon--the city in which Sha’Carri Richardson consumed the substance--, she was placed on a 30-day suspension and left off of the USA Track and Field roster after testing positive for THC. In an interview with the Today Show, Richardson revealed that she was aware of the potential consequences from testing positive for marijuana, but still chose to ingest the substance. Reeling from the recent death of her mother, the drug almost served as a form of escapism from the pain she had been experiencing.
It is true that rules are rules, and it is also true that Richardson must take accountability for her actions; however, the validity of this rule remains widely questioned. Not only is marijuana legal in 19 states, but it is not a performance-enhancing drug and would therefore not increase her stamina or performance as a runner.
Richardson’s suspension is quite reminiscent of the way in which Black and Brown people are often met with demonization and legal punishment for their dealings with marijuana, while white people are able to open dispensaries. Where white people are labeled entrepreneurs, Black people are labeled offenders, and Richardson was given neither grace nor empathy in an emotionally-charged time of her life.
Christine Mboma, Beatrice Masilingi and Testosterone Testing
According to CNN, Namibian sprinters Christine Mboma and Beatrice Masilingi were banned from competing because of their naturally high testosterone levels. The Namibia National Olympic Committee and Commonwealth Games Association (NNOC-CGA) states that their testosterone levels exceed the limit placed by a World Athletics’ Policy on Differences of Sex Development (DSD).
In 2018, World Athletics ruled that women with higher testosterone levels must take medication that would reduce their levels in order to compete in certain events, as it would make competition “fairer”; however, neither of the athletes were aware of this rule prior to their competitions. Although Mboma and Masilingi will still be able to compete in the 100 meter and 200 meter events, other Black women athletes have been barred from competing as a result of this ruling. CeCe Telfer, a transgender woman, was disallowed from competing in the Olympic trials for the 400 meter event last month, and Caster Semenya has been banned from competing in any event (from 400 meters to one mile) since 2018.
Not only does the rule police the bodies of Black women, but it reaffirms transphobic notions on what it means to be a “real” woman. Women, including those who are transgender, should not be forced to take medications that alter their natural body production. Once again, it becomes clear that whiteness and white womanhood are centered as the standard by which all women should be aligned with, and when non-white women (inevitably) fall outside of these confines, they are punished.
Gwen Berry Condemned for Activism
Gwen Berry (left), DeAnna Price, and Brooke Andersen during the national anthem at Saturday’s U.S. Olympic trials
Photo: Patrick Smith/Getty Images
As stated previously, the International Olympic Committee’s Rule 50 states that athletes cannot sport politically-centered regalia, nor can they engage in any forms of political activism at the Tokyo Olympics. Gwen Berry, a hammer thrower, chose to turn her back on the flag while “The Star Spangled Banner” played at the Olympic trials and faced much criticism from American lawmakers.
Berry, who previously displayed her political outspokenness at the 2019 Pan American games, has not yet decided if she will observe Rule 50 in Tokyo. While the rule was likely enacted in order for the focus to remain on the sports alone, athletes should not have to compromise or abandon their political agency, as politics impact various sectors within one’s life.
Each of these rulings are presented as impartial to race and gender; however, the ramifications of these rulings undermine the nuances of Black women athletes, and ultimately reinforce the historic demonization of Black womanhood. With many potential spectators stating that they will not tune in if Black women continue to be scrutinized or barred from competing, there are hopes that Olympic committees will seek to review the rules and understand their historical implications.
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Tokyo Olympics: 4 Black Women Who Are Chasing Gold Medals
The Tokyo Summer Olympics are set to officially commence on Friday, July 23 and there will be a number of Black athletes competing for the gold-- especially Black women. Here are four Black women expected to dominate the Summer Olympics!
Sha’Carri Richardson and Simone Biles look to dominate at the Tokyo Olympics
By: Cory Utsey
The once-postponed yet highly anticipated Tokyo Summer Olympics officially commence on Friday, July 23. This means that the Olympic trials are in full effect, and American athletes are competing to be a part of the anticipated 600 qualifiers being sent to Tokyo.
It is already clear that there will likely be a number of Black athletes competing for the gold-- especially Black women.
Here are four of the Black women athletes expected to dominate the Summer Olympics.
Sha’Carri Richardson - Track and Field
Sha'Carri Richardson celebrates after winning the first heat of the semifinals in the women's 100 meters at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials on Saturday in Eugene, Ore.
Associated Press photo by Ashley Landis
The 21-year-old Dallas native first came to prominence in 2019. A freshman at Louisiana State University at the time, she ran 10.75 seconds and broke the 100 meter record at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championships, winning her the NCAA title.
Despite losing her mother just days before the U.S Olympic Track and Field trials, she secured her spot in Tokyo on Juneteenth by running 10.86 seconds for the women’s 100 meter event. Immediately running to embrace her grandmother following her success, the bright-haired beauty warmed the hearts of many.
Richardson continues to trend, not only for her immense success on the field, but for her confident candor off the field. Letting everyone know that she is “that girl”, many are excited to see her compete on Team USA Track and Field.
Simone Manuel - Swimming
Simone Manuel - Getty Images
At the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics, Manuel became the first Black woman to win an individual Olympic gold medal, and she will now be competing in the 50 meter freestyle.
The trailblazer revealed that she was recently diagnosed with overtraining syndrome (OTS), a form of burnout which causes fatigue and temporarily declines the performance of athletes despite intense training. Experiencing symptoms such as anxiety and sore muscles, she was forced to take a three-week hiatus from training.
Fortunately, none of these tribulations stopped her from securing her spot on Team USA Swimming.
Allyson Felix - Track and Field
Allyson Felix at the Olympic Trials
Credit: Ashley Landis/Associated Press
Felix has nine Olympic medals-- enough said.
After qualifying for the 400 meter event, she will compete in her 5th olympics. Felix is currently the most decorated Olympic runner in U.S. history.
This three-time World Champion is expected to make great strides, regardless of which event she competes in.
Simone Biles - Gymnastics
Simone Biles competing in the floor exercise during the 2021 Olympic Trials
Credit: Carmen Mandato/ Getty Images
The five-time Olympic medalist is set to compete once again at the Olympics.
Known as one of the most decorated gymnasts in the world-- third to be exact-- USA Today reports that she already secured the all-around title at the U.S Gymnastics Championships.
There is very little doubt that she will be anything less than extraordinary.
Meet Gentel Sharrie, Head of Media Coverage for 247 Live Culture!
Email: Gentel@247LCTV.com