Can we stop trying to control Black Olympians' hair?

Simone Biles is an Olympic powerhouse. Her comeback at the 2024 Paris Olympics has kept eyes glued to screens as she racks up gold medal after gold medal.

But Biles’ dominance hasn’t stopped critics from telling her to "gel up" and "pin up" her hair, or commenting, "Her messy hair is a choice.” The Olympian took to Instagram to respond, “Gonna hold your hand when I say this, next time you want to comment on a Black girl's hair, JUST DON'T."

This isn’t the first time Biles has received disparaging comments about her hair; it certainly won’t be the last. This criticism isn't a new experience for Black women but with the spotlight on them in high-profile sports, these athletes are drawing more attention — and inevitably, more people with opinions about their appearance.

From Biles and Gabby Douglas to Dominique Dawes and Sha’Carri Richardson, and many others, Black female Olympians are still pressured to explain themselves to hair critics despite the evolving education around Black hair.

Gymnasts hounded about their appearance

Before there were superstar Gen Z athletes like Biles, Douglas and Richardson, there was Dawes. In 1996, Dawes became the first Black person to win an individual Olympic medal in gymnastics. However, while in Atlanta, the 19-year-old was criticized for her hair being “askew.” She wore her pressed-out or relaxed hair in a slicked-back bun with a gold scrunchie. She also had wispy bangs to match. 

She said of the experience in 2012, “As gymnasts, we are not concerned about our hair. If you look back at videos of myself at the Olympics, you’ll see I wasn’t so concerned with how I looked and if I was, I may have never made it to the Olympic games. My focus wasn’t on appearance, it was on achievement.”

Similarly, nearly 20 years after Dawes’ gold win, 16-year-old Douglas entranced the country with her gymnastics at the 2012 London Olympics. She wore her hair straightened in a slicked-back ponytail, but even this style was targeted by both white and Black critics who called into question the edges of her hairline. In the Black community, if edges are not slicked back with gel or edge control, the appearance can be deemed as “unkept” and “embarrassing.” 

During the Rio Games in 2016, Douglas said, “Did I choose my hair texture? No. I’m grateful for having this hair on my head. When you read that hurtful stuff you’re like ‘OK, wow.’”

In an article from the Daily Beast, a Black woman interviewed by the publication said, “I just hate the way [Douglas’] hair looks with all those pins and gel. I wish someone could have helped her make it look better since she’s being seen all over the world. She representing for Black women everywhere.”

“It’s taboo culturally to be seen in public with a kinky hairline and your ponytail is straight," celebrity hairstylist Larry Simms for Mary J. Blige and Gabrielle Union told The Daily Beast. “The textures don’t match her own hair and the added-on hair, and that’s a problem. I think Black girls in particular view her as a representation of themselves for the world to see. She just needs some Smooth and Shine gel and she’d be OK.’’

Daily Beast's reporter Allison Samuels explained, "The texture of black and African-American hair varies, and extreme heat and sweat can cause the strands to revert to their natural state. Natural hair can be difficult to maintain and usually runs in sharp contrast with traditional society’s idea of beauty."

Years later in 2020, Douglas shared a now-deleted social media post describing her complicated and much-talked-about relationship with her hair. It turns out that years of wearing the tight ponytail for gymnastics irreparably harmed her hair and even caused "bald spots on the back of her hair." Eventually she cut off all of her hair because of the damage.

Unfortunately, the public ridicule also harmed Douglas emotionally as well. As a result she said she “cried and cried and cried” over her damaged hair and the racist online trolling.

Controlling Black hair beyond aesthetics

The perceived messiness isn't the only issue Black Olympians have faced regarding their hair at the Games. One ruling tried to limit how Black swimmers performed by controlling what they wore. Many Black female swimmers wore the Soul Cap because its extra-large design accommodates “thick, curly, or voluminous hair," features of Black hair texture and styles ranging from natural to braids.

However, three years ago, the International Swimming Federation (formerly FINA, now known as World Aquatics) banned those swim caps because they did not "[follow] the natural form of the head,” NPR reported. This decision was made by the governing body, because, to their “best knowledge, the athletes competing at the international events never used, neither require to use, caps of such size and configuration," according to the AP.

Unfortunately, this decision revealed just how limited the scope of who was historically welcomed to swim in public. The ban was met with backlash from athletes like Black British swimmer Alice Dearing, who told The Guardian, "Back in the 1960s, I’ve seen those images of a black woman in a swimming pool and a white man pouring acid into it while she’s there. And there were instances where Black people were just outright banned from pools. So it’s not really a surprise that we get to 2020 or the 21st century and we see these issues occurring and there’s a lack of Black people in swimming, because it’s just been decades and decades of historical and cultural racism."

Fewer Black swimmers (and competitive swimmers at that) meant that World Aquatics – which is based in Switzerland where the Black population is in the minority and faces racism – based their decision on the majority of swimmers with thinner hair that would lay flatter on the head, not on Black hair textures. Soul Cap stated, “Traditional swimming caps often do not accommodate these hair types, hindering participation.” 

Fortunately, the decision to ban the caps was reversed in 2022 after it went under a year of review and discussion with the cap's creators. Soul Cap said the approval “is a huge step in the right direction – bringing inclusive swimwear into competitive swimming, and helping to bring down some of the obstacles that are keeping swimmers away from the sport.”

Reclaiming Black hair in sports

In a few years, we've come a long way. In 2024, Simone Manuel, the first Black woman to win an individual gold medal in swimming, created her own foundation to provide equity for communities of color to increase positive swimming experiences. She also has publicly shared her hair care routine in and out of the pool.

Another example of this defiance is with sprinter Sha'carri Richardson, who is no stranger to criticism, especially after having been disqualified previously from the Olympics for testing positive for marijuana. Following that, Richardson was ridiculed with countless racist comments calling her “hood-rat,” “ghetto” and “low-life” – often aimed at how she decided to present herself with false eyelashes, bold wigs and long, decorated nails. 

Despite the noise, the runner continues to wear her power through her colorful array of wigs, ranging from blue, blonde, and red to her signature orange. She hasn’t only worn wigs either. Last year, in a viral clip before a race, Richardson tossed off her orange wig to reveal hidden silver ombre braids.

She's also been known to sport braids that are rainbow-colored, mermaid green and more. Never content with just one look, Richardson also stunned in a new Olay advertisement with her natural curls. In a Vogue interview, the track star acknowledged how she is perceived but said, "I’m not gonna change the confidence that I have in myself ever."

Incremental changes like reversing the Soul Cap ban that appear to accept more Black hairstyles from athletes have been made. Our evolving culture has unlocked larger conversations about Black hair education. There have been documentaries like “Hair Tales” and Oscar-winning short films like “Hair Love.” They have highlighted the sensitivities and cultural connections Black people have to hair.

Unfortunately, there is still evidence that Black female Olympians will always be held to incredibly high standards. Their hair must be respectable. It should be digestible so audiences feel comfortable watching them. The athlete’s comfort does not matter. 

Biles’ response to this: "Don't come for me about my hair.”

This inappropriate scrutiny is partly fueled by ignorance about the realities and cultural meanings attached to Black hair. Black hair is not easily defined; it is not a one-size-fits-all category. It is versatile. Not one Black person’s hair is exactly the same as the next. But even with that knowledge, there is still a level of misogynoir that is perpetuated by both non-Black and Black people alike who feel that Black hair has to look one specific way.

Simply put, Black hair is not allowed to be Black hair.

Black hair can’t coil. It can’t curl. It can’t frizz. It has to be slicked back with pounds of gel – not an edge out of place. Respectable and kept. Even if you are the most decorated gymnast of all time.