Running While Black

November 2, 2022 6:22 AM

For too long, the running community has pretended as though it were possible to keep politics out of running. As if, somehow, running is the great equalizer where people can come together and compete on an equal playing field, transcending all markers of identity. The truth is, when I go for a run as a Black woman, that in and of itself is a political act and one that puts me at risk—fearing for my life. As long as we live in a world steeped in white supremacy—and we do—being a Black woman will never be separate from my identity as a runner. From a conversation with Alison Désir (Instagram link), author of the new book Running While Black: Finding Freedom in a Sport that Wasn’t Built For Us, in today's Culture Study newsletter by Anne Helen Petersen.

Running While Black is as much about the fear and struggles that come with moving through space as it is about the power of movement to transform and save/change your life. It has been incredibly moving to know that my story resonates so deeply with other Black people and marginalized people more generally. Black people have also enjoyed the opportunity to learn just how central and integral we are to running’s history. Learning that key figures like Ted Corbitt shaped the sport we love — but have been all but removed from the story of long distance running — empowers Black folks to share the truth far and wide.

The second audience is white people for whom my book is eye opening and in many ways shocking. I am no longer surprised at just how ignorant most white people are in this country; it’s by design. Ignorance is a key feature that keeps white supremacy in place. I’m hopeful that this book humanizes the experience of what it is to live as a Black person/runner in this country and then inspires white people to take action towards racial equity.

Additional nuggets include Désir's favorite podcasts, organisations "doing the damn work," and some of her favourite runners on Instagram.

posted by Bella Donna (9 comments total)

I’ve become a passionate runner in the past few years, since before the pandemic. My immediate thought is all the ways in which the author’s thesis has been borne out at all levels of the sport.

- Kenyan born, US runner Aliphine Tuliamuk won the US Olympic trials in March 2020. When BLM later started to gather steam, she shared an IG post about her frustration that even though she had won the race, barely any of the television coverage had been about her - as if the sight of a black woman with a Kenyan sounding name winning a marathon isn’t considered interesting enough for a majority white audience.

- This hits on a deeper truth. Kenyans and Ethiopians lead the sport but it has been decided somewhere that they are not considered interesting enough to white audiences. As a person who really likes this sport, I find it impossible to get a sense from mainstream coverage (or even the niche coverage) about who the athletes at the top of it are. Nobody tells their story with the intimacy and familiarity that we get for the US and European athletes. Apart from world record holder Eliud Kipchoge, who is probably one of the greatest athletes in any sport ever. That’s what it takes to get cut through as an African athlete.

- I especially like the comment that running is political; “moving through space is political”. So many times I have seen women harassed while running, or heard women complain about harassment while running. I have one friend who tells me if she wears a sports bra, she will get unwelcome, intrusive comments from men every single time. This is an act of intrusion based on some men’s belief that they should have the power to invade women’s spaces and exert control over their attention and their bodies. I feel a responsibility to do something and have been learning about bystander intervention so I can be ready if I see this again.
posted by Probabilitics at 7:23 AM on November 2, 2022 [9 favorites]

It is one of those deeply ironic facts that a sport that is completely dominated by black athletes at the elite level (for example, 28 of the last 30 Boston marathon winners and the top five sprinters at the 2020 Olympics were all black by American standards) remains basically off limits for everyday people.

It really speaks to the fact that "representation" is necessary but not even slightly close to sufficient in the pursuit of social equality.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 7:33 AM on November 2, 2022 [10 favorites]

Getting a 404 page on the book link in the OP, but was able to look it up in the Bookshop.org search: Link
posted by Strange Interlude at 8:21 AM on November 2, 2022 [1 favorite]

Apologies for the error. Will ask a mod to fix it. Thanks for letting us know!
posted by Bella Donna at 8:52 AM on November 2, 2022

Life really shouldn't be this hard and it's incredible that it is and that we accept it because we might be a smidge more comfortable or satisfied.
posted by drewbage1847 at 9:32 AM on November 2, 2022 [2 favorites]

I applaud anyone who goes head on against institutions that are steeped in colonialism and white supremacy. It's pretty naive to think that "this sport is for Everyone" is anything but a marketing ploy, but it's also a good pillar to tear down when making a case for a rebuild from first principles.
posted by OHenryPacey at 10:55 AM on November 2, 2022 [1 favorite]

Life really shouldn't be this hard and it's incredible that it is and that we accept it because we might be a smidge more comfortable or satisfied.

Personally I'm just overwhelmed. Six years ago I vaguely thought that Mayans had gone the way of the Aztecs, but I now live in a city with 600,000 of them who are all getting screwed to various degrees by the dominant culture. I also have an attachment to the Korean population in Japan, and I grew up in the U.S. so of course I'm aware of what a sh*tshow that is.

And a common theme is that by acting as an individual helping individuals I'm just taking pressure off of the government/culture/etc. that _should_ be serving them. To really address social change requires a significant investment, and I don't blame people who aren't up to it. I'm just glad that some people are.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 10:59 AM on November 2, 2022 [3 favorites]

Thanks for the link. The interview was great, and I'm looking forward to the book.

I recently moved to the majority Black town that is at the base of the largest Confederate monument in the world. Although it is a state park, the state contracts with a private corporation to manage that nonsense, and they charge a hefty fee for parking. However, those of us who live here can easily walk or bike into the park for free, and anyone can park for free along Main Street and join us. Like much of suburbia, our streets are not great for running and walking for anyone, and racism and racist cops of course make them even less safe for some more than others. While white people from other places pay to park and are mostly focused on that desecrated side of the mountain and associated tourist trap, the historic African-American population of our little village and our huge diversity of Latin American, Caribbean, Asian, and African immigrant have found in the park's paths and trails a place they feel safe running, walking, and biking, in the shadow of all that hate.
posted by hydropsyche at 5:48 AM on November 4, 2022 [7 favorites]

Thank you for posting, hydropsyche! Reading your comment just now did me a world of good on an otherwise gray day. I am so happy that you and others in your community have found a safe space outdoors where you can move as you choose. That is fabulous news.
posted by Bella Donna at 8:23 AM on November 4, 2022