Simone Biles Has Heard Enough About Her Hair. And We Have Too.

The 2024 Paris Olympics are swiftly underway, and Team USA athletes have medaled across various sporting events. On Tuesday, the U.S. women’s gymnastics team reclaimed their Olympic throne in the team final with the help of Simone Biles. Biles and her teammates Jordan Chiles, Sunisa Lee, Jade Carey, and Hezly Rivera’s stellar, gravity-defying performances won them a gold medal. Known for revolutionizing the sport (which includes five signature gymnastics moves named after her), Biles is one of the greatest athletes of all time and her recent win officially made her the most decorated American gymnast in Olympic history, as she now possesses eight medals, five of them gold. Yet, her record-breaking achievement wasn’t the only focus during the Olympic Games.

Before Biles’ epic return to the mat, the gymnast warned fans on Tuesday to keep their negative comments about her hair to themselves. Her warning stemmed from the absurd amount of criticisms she’s faced previously surrounding her hair looking “undone.”  “Don’t come for me about my hair. IT WAS DONE, but the bus has no AC & it’s like 9,000 degrees,” the World Champion captioned her Instagram story posts while holding a mini portable fan. “Next time you wanna comment on a black girl’s hair, JUST DON’T,” she continued.

Throughout her athletic career, Biles has dealt with online jabs about her appearance, especially her hair. And this time, it was no different. For example, one Twitter user wrote, “Simone Biles equals flawless. Her hair, not so much.” Another user commented, “Simone Biles is absolutely amazing. One of the best athletes in the world. But I would love to put just a little gel in her hair. A slick back bun would EAT.”

As a legendary gymnast with 30 world medals, the constant discourse about her hair shouldn’t be a debate or trending topic. Thankfully, many fans also came to the icon’s defense. “Simone Biles literally reconfigures the bounds of gymnastics every time she hits the floor,” one person wrote. “Not only are they trying to beat Simone, now they’re trying to beat Simone with the moves Simone CREATED. And y’all want to talk about her hair? You know…Black people…”

Biles’ experience is one that many Black women can relate to. Black women are often scrutinized more than any other race about our appearance, including our hair. The standard of beauty is centered on eurocentric features and has skewed the public’s view of natural hair textures and protective hairstyles to be deemed as unworthy. The pressures Black women face to assimilate to whitewashed beauty standards have caused some to try to conceal their natural features. For many, adopting “acceptable” hairstyles like straighter hair has been used as a tool to gain access and opportunity in the professional world. Social causes like the Natural Hair Movement and the Crown Act have worked to disrupt and dismantle traditional beauty standards that have harmed Black women for centuries. Despite this progress, people are still spewing this judgmental rhetoric  online, proving that the relentless efforts to make sure Black women, and our hair, are protected must continue.

Biles isn’t the only one to experience online hate and hurtful comments about her appearance. Gabby Douglas, the first African-American to win an individual all-around Olympic title, is another example where the public delivered their unsolicited opinions about her hair during her Olympic season in 2012. In 2020, the gymnast made an emotional Instagram post (now deleted) revealing her battle with hair loss and how she attempted to cover the sparse areas with hair clips. Still, with total disregard of her circumstance, negative comments about her hair flooded online. 

No matter the qualifications or accomplishments that Black women achieve, people will always find ways to belittle them. Regardless, Black women continue to reclaim their power by not allowing outsiders to dim their light. This year, Black Olympians understand that they represent more than the sport they play. In addition to displaying their undeniable athletic gifts on one of the biggest world stages, their hair is front and center too. In an NBC interview, multiple Black athletes said they look forward to showing off their natural hair while competing in Paris. Sprinter Kendall Ellis plans to embrace her kinky hair texture while racing to the finish line. She told the media organization, “I want to do a more natural-looking style because I think it’s important to have that representation on such a large stage.” Other Olympians shared similar sentiments, such as water polo star Ashleigh Johnson and track stars Brittany Brown and Anna Cockrell.

Whether Black Olympians are sporting their natural hair or wearing protective styles, let the attention be on their athletic abilities—not their appearance. As Biles proceeds to the all-around final on Thursday, take heed of her warning: Keep your opinions about her hair to yourselves.