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Original poster

‘Mummy, why do all of the runners have black skin?’

307 replies

MoiraRoseIsMyQueen · 31/07/2021 12:13

So, my 5-year-old has just asked this question while watching the 100m heats, and I’m struggling to answer! Does anyone have any advice on how to respond, without making generalisations or being racist? I am so sorry if I sound ignorant Confused but I said ‘because people from Africa tend to be very good at running because of their genetics’ - and then thought that is probably not a good answer. Help!

OP posts:
Legomania · 02/08/2021 16:22

@sadperson16

How stupid.... a bloody 5 year old. What a wonderful age and wonderful minds asking all sorts of crazy and interesting things. Where is Mrs God being one I recall. Long may they ask.

I suppose a reply along the lines of "Aren't they fast? " would have done nicely.

I'm sure plenty of 5yos, mine included, know when they're being fobbed off! Nothing wrong with a simple, age appropriate explanation.
XingMing · 02/08/2021 19:47

There is a lot of location involved too. I've never lived far from the sea, and locally, the big sport is gig racing which evolved from the boats that took the pilots to sea so they could help the skippers bring their craft and cargoes into rocky ports safely. The first to arrive got hired, so it made sense to train the rowers for speed. But it's unlikely that any landlocked population is going to learn to row competitively in sufficient number to throw up an Olympic champion.

sadperson16 · 02/08/2021 19:52

I think most people are located near a flat surface?

XingMing · 02/08/2021 19:57

Most, but not all, hence the introduction of cross-country and fell running. Competitive sport varies with the terrain. Mountainous countries dominate in the winter sports events. Remember the film about the Jamaican bob sleigh team? (I've forgotten the name).

XingMing · 02/08/2021 20:04

There are explanations that would be understood by five year olds that don't need to rely on race.

sadperson16 · 03/08/2021 06:28

Competative Sport varies with the terrain.......yes fell running in the fells.

So to be a successful gymnast you would have to have a stuffed horse in your house to vault?

RedMarauder · 03/08/2021 09:24

@XingMing

Most, but not all, hence the introduction of cross-country and fell running. Competitive sport varies with the terrain. Mountainous countries dominate in the winter sports events. Remember the film about the Jamaican bob sleigh team? (I've forgotten the name).
Cool Runnings which I mentioned in a previous post pages back. It is PG.

In the late 90s/00s the British Winter Olympic Team clicked that lots of fast track athletes were black, but black people rarely did winter sports so they were missing out on talent. So they got some black athletes to try out bobsleigh - this was televised on BBC - and ended up putting some black male athletes in the Olympic bobsleigh team.

RedMarauder · 03/08/2021 09:32

@sadperson16

Competative Sport varies with the terrain.......yes fell running in the fells.

So to be a successful gymnast you would have to have a stuffed horse in your house to vault?

No you just need parents willing to take you to the best local gymnastics club 4-6 times a week for years. Then willing to take you to competitions, then if you step up a level to the regional club, etc.

For swimmers they need a parent willing to take them to swimming training - frequently early morning before school - for years, etc.

Basically if you don't have a parent or other guardian like an older sibling (thinking of Raheem Sterling) willing to take you to training for your sport multiple times a week, then you don't have a chance.

A friend of mine managed to get a friends' mother take him and the friend to training for a specific sport so he managed to get county level. A primary teacher of mine took a pupil, who was actually the elder brother of one of my classmates, to the track until he was older enough to go on his own. The pupil raced in the Olympics. Nowadays neither of those would be allowed.

It doesn't matter how wealthy you are you just need an adult to take you. However if you are wealthy you are more likely to have an adult who can do that.

Snookie00 · 03/08/2021 10:21

It’s not just the time commitment from parents. In many sports there is an expectation that kids will have their own often very expensive equipment and pay for access to training and competitions (hotels etc). Some sports are more easily accessible than others but as you can see at the Olympics, many sports are very much a rich white persons club - sailing, rowing, cycling spring to mind.

Oldowl · 03/08/2021 10:32

I agree, in UK sport money and parental (adult) commitment play a huge part. My DS has got to the junior nationals in his sport and in the uk development squad through the commitment of himself and the adults around him. Many a time as a young teenager, he was picked up at 6.30am by an adult club member for the hour long car journey to training (this was like an hour of coaching!) He was loaned equipment for years before we could commit a 5 figure sum to buying his own. He had to rely on other club members (who would drive all over the UK and to France) to support him through competitions as we did not have a car big enough for the equipment needed or the know-how of the sport.

The joy this sport has brought our DS and the skills learnt are priceless. It is often the soft skills that get over-looked; communicating with older club members, coping with failure, helping and supporting others, pushing yourself to the next level etc.

For DS's sport, race does not come into it. It is commitment and money that brings success.

Lockdownbear · 03/08/2021 10:51

@sadperson16

Competative Sport varies with the terrain.......yes fell running in the fells.

So to be a successful gymnast you would have to have a stuffed horse in your house to vault?

No but it helps if there is a gymnastics gym in the area. Most parent aren't going to travel for much more than 30mins to take kids to a sports venue, for 60mins activity to get them started.

Different once kids get to a higher level and have longer sessions with better coaches. Not not starting out.

Lockdownbear · 03/08/2021 10:52

Oldowl- what sport is it? You have me intrigued?

User5827372728 · 03/08/2021 11:40

For DS's sport, race does not come into it. It is commitment and money that brings success.

Said from a position of privilege

WeRTheOnesWeHaveBeenWaitingFor · 03/08/2021 11:56

We had this discussion with our 7 year old after he commented on the same thing. If genetics was a major factor all the athletes would be from the same background. I think it’s largely cultural. Many Indian families, for example, may encourage academic success and not give the same status to sports ability.

Brown76 · 03/08/2021 12:10

I would say that ‘lots of reasons’. One is that certain body types are more suited to certain sports, and a lot of the people who are able to train to this level in sprinting are of west African heritage (so that’s including African Caribbean people). Maybe look at body shape eg the weightlifters, long distance runners, high jumpers will tend towards larger and strong, lean, very tall and slim builds.

Greenlittle · 03/08/2021 18:08

“If someone wants to swim, let them swim, or if someone wants to run, let them run. Let everybody try everything they want to do and decide for themselves what’s right for them, not what’s ‘right’ because [of] their skin colour or genetics.”

Lockdownbear · 03/08/2021 18:13

@Greenlittle

“If someone wants to swim, let them swim, or if someone wants to run, let them run. Let everybody try everything they want to do and decide for themselves what’s right for them, not what’s ‘right’ because [of] their skin colour or genetics.”
Nobody is saying not to encourage children to do different sports but people are pointing out that for the very very small minority who get to the very top race does help or disadvantage depending on the sport.
Greenlittle · 03/08/2021 18:16

This is from Alice Dearing, condemning stereotypes in the sport. And she is a top athelete who probably has felt the brunt of the rubbish dog-whistle “genetics” arguments

Oldowl · 03/08/2021 20:05

@User5827372728

For DS's sport, race does not come into it. It is commitment and money that brings success.

Said from a position of privilege

Yes, definitely a position of privilege and kindness of others. DS and we are certainly aware of this.

We did lose both my parents in the last 3 years which has enabled us to buy the equipment needed for DS's sport. We decided to use our inheritance on helping DS move forward in his sport rather that change the car or buy a new kitchen. As with any sporting family, there is a lot of sacrifice and commitment needed. Without the inheritance DS would still be like 'the runner without the spikes'. My parents would be thrilled that we are using their money to help our DS.

Interestingly, Lewis Hamilton is also in a sport that relies on commitment and money and has risen to the top due to his talent.

Oldowl · 03/08/2021 20:12

@Lockdownbear

Oldowl- what sport is it? You have me intrigued?
@Lockdownbear

I would rather not say, as it is niche and outing. I will intrigue you some more:

It requires the skill of sailing, the equipment is around the size of the coxless 4 rowing boat, it has the danger of speedway (a mistake could cost thousands in damage to equipment and injuries could be life changing/fatal), it is not a motor sport.

RedMarauder · 03/08/2021 20:49

@Snookie00 rowing and cycling are trying not to be as they are reaching out to comprehensive children and community groups respectively. (I know people who have done/do the former and have helped out with races for the latter so have talked to participants. Plus I have relations who take part in cycle races who aren't white. )

However where you live is important.

You can't be a rower if you don't live within a reasonable distance of a waterway, or cyclist if you don't have a safe enough place to cycle.

Google31 · 04/08/2021 10:04

You can simply say that these are the best in their country. Yes there is a reason why Ethiopians and Kenyans and Moroccans are good at long distance and West/Central Africans happen to be fas runners
(African Americans and Caribbeans are mainly from that part of Africa) and it has to do with body type and their location.

Most African countries don’t really invest in Sports, so running is accessible to all, swimming and other sports will need funding and corrupt governments would rather line their pockets than fund Sports. Many sports even in the west are only accessible to the privileged.

speakout · 04/08/2021 17:36

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User5827372728 · 04/08/2021 17:44

@speakout

My 4 year old would notice, and I’ve educated him to use the word black so he would use that word rather than brown.