Commentary

Outrage After Sha’Carri Richardson, Other Black Women Banned from Participating in Tokyo Olympics

Social media users, media pundits, and celebrities rushed to Richardson’s defense, noting that marijuana is legal in many states anyway and using the hashtag #LetHerRun.

Published

5 years ago

July 10, 2021

Christy Price

Sha’Carri Richardson/Sports Illustrated

The Olympics and its governing bodies are being accused of discriminating against Black women after several Black women athletes — nearly all of whom were expected to excel in their competitions — have been disqualified from participating in the Tokyo games in recent months.

The outcry hit its peak last week after Sha’Carri Richardson, the 21-year-old Black track star who shot to fame last month as the “fastest woman in America,” was suspended from competing for one month after testing positive for using marijuana. Richardson did not test positive for any performance enhancement drugs, and said she used marijuana after learning that her biological mother had died.

Social media users, media pundits, and celebrities rushed to Richardson’s defense, noting that marijuana is legal in many states anyway and using the hashtag #LetHerRun. A petition on MoveOn.org gained nearly half a million signatures. And Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez even wrote a letter to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency urging the organization to reverse its decision suspending Richardson.

But Richardson confirmed on Twitter that she will not be competing in this year’s Olympics.

“I’m sorry I can’t be y’all Olympic Champ this year,” she said July 3, “but I promise I’ll be your World Champ next year.”

Other Black women have also been barred — and even swimwear used by Black women.

Two Namibian sprinters, Christine Mboma and Beatrice Masilingi, both 18 years old, were ruled ineligible to compete in some races at the Tokyo Olympics because of naturally high testosterone levels. The Olympics’ governing body requires athletes’ blood testosterone levels to be below a designated level to compete in certain women’s events.

That rule has also impacted Olympic champion Caster Semenya of South Africa and CeCe Telfer, a Black transgender woman athlete who is Jamaican-American. Semenya was barred from running in any mid- to long-range race after World Athletics ruled in 2018 that women with naturally high testosterone levels must take medication to reduce them to compete in those races. Semenya has refused and is challenging the ruling.

Last week, just after swimmer Alice Dearing became the first Black woman to qualify to represent England in the open-water marathon, the governing body for aquatics sports barred the use of swim caps designed for natural hair in international competitions. The body is now reviewing its decision after receiving international pushback.

“So, Sha’Carri can’t run because of marijuana, multiple African runners can’t run because their T levels are “too high,” and swim caps for Afro hair have been banned. Anyone else see a pattern here?” one Twitter user said.

“Good morning and Happy Friday to everyone except the Olympic Committee for banning Sha’Carri Richardson for weed while Michael Phelps weed-coughs gold medals,” another said, noting that Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps was also caught using marijuana.

Another user called the disqualifications an example of white men deciding whose womanhood is good enough.

While Richardson, won’t compete until next year, Mboma and Masilingi will compete in some races this summer, but not all.

Christy Price

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Activism

OP-ED: AB 1349 Puts Corporate Power Over Community

Since Ticketmaster and Live Nation merged in 2010, ticket prices have jumped more than 150 percent. Activities that once fit a family’s budget now take significant disposable income that most working families simply don’t have. The problem is compounded by a system that has tilted access toward the wealthy and white-collar workers. If you have a fancy credit card, you get “presale access,” and if you work in an office instead of a warehouse, you might be able to wait in an online queue to buy a ticket. Access now means privilege.

Published

5 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Oakland Post

Bishop Joseph Simmons, Senior Pastor, Greater St. Paul Baptist Church, Oakland

By Bishop Joseph Simmons, Senior Pastor, Greater St. Paul Baptist Church, Oakland

As a pastor, I believe in the power that a sense of community can have on improving people’s lives. Live events are one of the few places where people from different backgrounds and ages can share the same space and experience – where construction workers sit next to lawyers at a concert, and teenagers enjoy a basketball game with their grandparents. Yet, over the past decade, I’ve witnessed these experiences – the concerts, games, and cultural events where we gather – become increasingly unaffordable, and it is a shame.

These moments of connection matter as they form part of the fabric that holds communities together. But that fabric is fraying because of Ticketmaster/Live Nation’s unchecked control over access to live events. Unfortunately, AB 1349 would only further entrench their corporate power over our spaces.

Power over live events is concentrated in a single corporate entity, and this regime operates without transparency or accountability – much like a dictator. Ticketmaster controls 80 percent of first-sale tickets and nearly a third of resale tickets, but they still want more. More power, more control for Ticketmaster means higher prices and less access for consumers. It’s the agenda they are pushing nationally, with the help of former Trump political operatives, who are quietly trying to undo the antitrust lawsuit launched against Ticketmaster/Live Nation under President Biden’s DOJ.

That’s why I’m deeply concerned about AB 1349 in its current form. Rather than reining in Ticketmaster’s power, the bill risks strengthening it, aligning with Trump. AB 1349 gives Ticketmaster the ability to control a consumer’s ticket forever by granting Ticketmaster’s regime new powers in state law to prevent consumers from reselling or giving away their tickets. It also creates new pathways for Ticketmaster to discriminate and retaliate against consumers who choose to shop around for the best service and fees on resale platforms that aren’t yet controlled by Ticketmaster. These provisions are anti-consumer and anti-democratic.

California has an opportunity to stand with consumers, to demand transparency, and to restore genuine competition in this industry. But that requires legislation developed with input from the community and faith leaders, not proposals backed by the very company causing the harm.

Will our laws reflect fairness, inclusion, and accountability? Or will we let corporate interests tighten their grip on spaces that should belong to everyone? I, for one, support the former and encourage the California Legislature to reject AB 1349 outright or amend it to remove any provisions that expand Ticketmaster’s control. I also urge community members to contact their representatives and advocate for accessible, inclusive live events for all Californians. Let’s work together to ensure these gathering spaces remain open and welcoming to everyone, regardless of income or background.

Oakland Post

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Activism

Oakland Post: Week of December 31, 2025 – January 6, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – December 31, 2025 – January 6, 2026

Published

1 week ago

January 2, 2026

Oakland Post

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Activism

Big God Ministry Gives Away Toys in Marin City

Pastor Hall also gave a message of encouragement to the crowd, thanking Jesus for the “best year of their lives.” He asked each of the children what they wanted to be when they grow up.

Published

2 weeks ago

December 29, 2025

Oakland Post

From top left: Pastor David Hall asking the children what they want to be when they grow up. Worship team Jake Monaghan, Ruby Friedman, and Keri Carpenter. Children lining up to receive their presents. Photos by Godfrey Lee.

By Godfrey Lee

Big God Ministries, pastored by David Hall, gave toys to the children in Marin City on Monday, Dec. 15, on the lawn near the corner of Drake Avenue and Donahue Street.

Pastor Hall also gave a message of encouragement to the crowd, thanking Jesus for the “best year of their lives.” He asked each of the children what they wanted to be when they grew up.

Around 75 parents and children were there to receive the presents, which consisted mainly of Gideon Bibles, Cat in the Hat pillows, Barbie dolls, Tonka trucks, and Lego building sets.

A half dozen volunteers from the Big God Ministry, including Donnie Roary, helped to set up the tables for the toy giveaway. The worship music was sung by Ruby Friedman, Keri Carpenter, and Jake Monaghan, who also played the accordion.

Big God Ministries meets on Sundays at 10 a.m. at the Mill Valley Community Center, 180 Camino Alto, Mill Valley, CA Their phone number is (415) 797-2567.