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Girl disqualified for wearing a swimsuit with the phrase Black Lives Matter

2022-02-09T21:22:40.770Z


A 12-year-old girl from Wisconsin tried to compete wearing a homemade swimsuit with the slogan Black Lives Matter on it, but an official disqualified her.


They raise funds for Black Lives Matter through YouTube 1:24

(CNN) --

A 12-year-old black girl was disqualified from a swim meet in Wisconsin over the weekend for wearing a homemade swimsuit emblazoned with Black Lives Matter, but organizers quickly reversed the decision and let her swim. .


Sarah Lyons told CNN that her daughter Leidy Gellona is very interested in social justice and wanted to wear the swimsuit after speaking out about the death of 22-year-old Amir Locke, who was shot by Minneapolis police in execution of an arrest warrant.

  • Body camera video shows Minneapolis police shooting a black man during an operation to enforce a warrant for his arrest.

    Lawyers say he was not the target

They bought iron-on fabric letters the night before the competition and placed them on the suit.

In an interview with CNN's "New Day" on Wednesday, Leidy said she had swum her first race Sunday at Superior High School and was preparing for her next test when a volunteer official told her she couldn't compete with that suit.

"I went to tell my mother and I said: 'I'm not going to take it off' and my mother said: 'Okay'. So, she went to talk to the official and started making phone calls because I said no", Leidy told "New Day".

"I felt bad and I felt disrespected, because I wanted to show that I mattered."

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Lyons said her daughter had another outfit to change into, but left the decision up to her.

"She came to me and told me that she was not going to take her suit off in any way and I told her, 'Whatever you want to do, I support it,'" Lyons said.

"So I told her, 'If you want to take it off, fine, take it off, that's totally fine. If you don't want to, I'm totally behind you.' And she was like, 'Mom, I'm not taking it off.'"

Leidy Gellona was disqualified from a swim meet in Wisconsin for wearing a suit in support of Black Lives Matter.

Lyons said her daughter was upset and crying.

The mother said she contacted the director of the Duluth National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) for help in the dispute.

The Duluth Area Family YMCA, which sponsored the event, said "an independent volunteer official improperly prohibited a female student-athlete from participating in the meet due to her Black Lives Matter swimsuit, stating that 'it was against the policy of USA Swimming not to use political language.'"

  • USA Swimming announces new policies on elite transgender athletes

Leidy missed a race before the decision was overturned, her mother said.

The official's decision was overturned by YMCA officials, and Leidy was able to continue participating in the swim meet, the Duluth YMCA said.

The official was banned from future swim meets hosted by the Duluth YMCA, the organization said.

"The YMCA of Duluth regrets that the student, her family and her teammates had to endure this unacceptable behavior. The YMCA of Duluth will continue its commitment to training all staff and volunteers on diversity, equity and inclusion." ", the organization said in a statement.

CNN reached out to USA Swimming, which is the national body that governs competitive swimming in the United States.

Black Lives Matter began with a hashtag in 2012 after the shooting death of Trayvon Martin in Florida and has grown into a major social force.

  • What is the Black Lives Matter movement and why was it created?

The protest movement reignited in the days after George Floyd's death at the hands of police in Minneapolis in May 2020 and aims to shine a light on what it calls systemic racism and police brutality from America's small towns to their urban centers.

The Duluth YMCA overruled a volunteer official's decision to disqualify Leidy from a swim meet because of her swimsuit.

Lyons said that when he contacted the local NAACP, the chapter president promised to be there in 15 minutes.

Other members of the group came out to support Leidy and cheer her on during her runs.

"We need to protect our young Black women and confront racism without being performative," said a statement from the Duluth chapter of the NAACP.

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The YMCA said it prioritizes diversity and inclusion.

"The Duluth Area Family YMCA is committed to being an anti-racist organization and stands in solidarity with Black, Native American and communities of color throughout Northland [Minnesota] and across our country. We know Black lives matter and we will continue to work to educate, to oppose inequality and to strive to be active allies in the ongoing fight for diversity, equity and inclusion," the organization said.

The city of Superior is south of Duluth, Minnesota.

Lyons said her daughter doesn't use social media, but has shared some of the messages of support she's received online.

NBA star LeBron James was among those who praised the girl for her courage, posting a story on Instagram.

"I was really excited when I found out. I told my friends and they were like, 'Oh my God, he's the best,' so I was really excited when I found out," Leidy said.

"I found out I had been called by a beautiful young black queen and I was like 'yay!'

Black Lives Matter

Source: cnnespanol

All news articles on 2022-02-09

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