Source: Leon Bennett / Getty
Can you believe 2022 is here? Last year went by so fast, and we got to say, it was a little hard to feel super optimistic, especially with the chaos and uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic looming in the background, but Black excellence showed up and showed out regardless in 2021. There were moments where Blackness bought hope back to society, and times where Black fearless leaders spoke out against injustice and inequality. A number of Black change-makers, musicians and athletes made history-making feats this year, and it was in these moments where millions of Americans could see some semblance of light at the end of the tunnel when the world felt so bleak.
Let’s take a look back at 12 times Black excellence rang loud and proud last year.
Kamala Harris Becomes The First Black Woman Vice President
On Jan. 20, 2021, Vice President Kamala Harris assumed office as the 49th Vice President of the United States. Harris cemented her name in history books as the first Black female Vice President to hold office in one of the highest-ranking positions in U.S. History.
Zaila Avant-Garde Wins The Scripps National Spelling Bee
The 14-year-old Louisiana native became the first African American to receive the Scripps National Spelling Award along with a whopping cash prize of $50,000.
Avant-garde broke barriers the moment she was tasked to spell the word “Murraya” at the competition– which she did effortlessly.
Naomi Osaka Stands Up For Mental Health In Sports
Noami Osaka showed the world that putting your mental health first is vital. The four-time Grand Slam Champion was hit with an outpour of support and criticism after she made the tough decision to withdraw from the French Open back in May.
In her emotional TIME essay titled “It’s O.K. Not To Be O.K.,” the tennis star went into more detail about her bouts with depression and her decision not to partake in post-game media coverage. As a result, Osaka was hit with a whopping $15,000 fine for failing to speak to the press. The tennis champ wrote in her essay that she often experienced “huge waves of anxiety” before speaking with the press and urged the media to change the way in which they address athletes about their mental health and well-being.
After a two-month-long hiatus off the court, Osaka returned to play for the Tokyo Olympics where she was graced with the opportunity of lighting The Olympic Cauldron, and she even won the first round match against Zheng Saisai.
Raphael Warnock Becomes Georgia State’s First Black Senator
Back in January, The Rev. Raphael Warnock defeated Sen. Kelly Loeffler in Georgia’s Senate runoff elections. Warnock won by a close call, racking up 51 percent of the vote over Loeffler, according to AP News.
The 52-year-old became the state’s first Black senator and the first Black Democratic senator from the South.
“Tonight, we proved that with hope, hard work, and the people by our side, anything is possible,” Warnock told viewers during his virtual celebratory speech.
Eric Adams Becomes 2nd Black Mayor Of New York City
Democrat Eric Adams made history on Nov. 3, after he was officially elected as the 110th mayor of New York City, beating out his Republican opponent Curtis Silwa.
The retired New York Police Department captain wowed voters with his laser focus attention on racial and social justice issues coupled with his longstanding career in public safety.
Josephine Baker Inducted Into The Panthéon
Legendary actress and dancer, Josephine Baker, made history posthumously this year. The star’s remains were reinterred at the Panthéon monument in Paris– making her the first Black woman to receive the country’s coveted distinction. Baker’s notable praise came in honor of her service with the French military (Deuxième Bureau) during World War II as a correspondent in 1939. The star became an icon during the Jazz Age and the Roaring Twenties for her groundbreaking acting career. The civil rights activist was the first Black woman to star in a major studio production in the 1927 silent film “Siren of the Tropics.”
Simone Biles Wins 7th-All-Around Title
Simone Biles secured her seventh national all-around title at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships in June with a score of 119.650. The month prior, Biles stunned at the U.S. Classic in Indianapolis, where she made history yet again by becoming the first woman ever to perform the dangerously difficult Yurchenko Double Pike.
While this year presented a number of record-breaking highs for the 4-time gold medalist, back in July, Biles withdrew herself from the Tokyo Olympics during team finals, and the Women’s all-around competition, citing mental health concerns and a case of the twisties — a loss of awareness that gymnasts can experience while up in the air which could lead to serious injuries. Even faced with pressure and scrutiny, the 24-year-old was able to secure a bronze medal during the balance beam finals.
Biles spoke openly with the press about her decision to take a brief hiatus away from the gymnastics floor, telling reporters:
“Whenever you get in a high-stress situation, you kind of freak out. We have to protect our body and our mind…So, it’s okay sometimes to even sit out the big competitions to focus on yourself because it shows how strong of a competitor or a person that you really are.”
Biles’s history-making moves and courage also landed her a spot on TIME’s “Most Influential People” list.
Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett Helps Develop The Moderna Vaccine
Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, an immunologist at the US National Institutes of Health, was one of the leading scientists behind developing the Moderna vaccine. The star was honored this year on TIME’s “Heroes of The Year” list.
Amanda Gorman Shines At The 2021 Presidential Inauguration
Youth poet Amanda Gorman shined during the 2021 Presidential Inauguration as she read her empowering piece, “The Hill We Climb” – a poem filled with calls for unity and justice while building towards a brighter future. At 22-years-old, Gorman became the youngest poet to present an inaugural reading, following in the powerful footsteps of past presenters including Maya Angelou and Elizabeth Alexander.
Rihanna Reaches Billionaire Status
Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty empire sent her whizzing into billionaire territory back in August. According to Forbes, The “Love on the Brain” hitmaker’s net worth now stands at a whopping $1.7 billion with 50 percent of her share from the company reportedly accounting for $1.4 billion alone. During a recent interview with the New York Times, the 33-year-old shared her excitement about the big feat.
“It’s tricky because it’s hard to even accept that’s where you’re at because I know where I’ve come from,” she explained. “At the same time, it feels good to be able to inspire young women and boys, who like me, come from humble beginnings, who come from parents who are immigrants or who are immigrants themselves, to be able to do this.”
Elaine Herah-Thompson Becomes The Fastest Woman In The World
The Jamaican track star flew past Florence Griffith Joyner’s record during the Women’s 100-meter race at the Tokyo Olympics. Herah-Thompson blazed through the track in 10.61 seconds, breaking the late track and field star’s score which stood at 10.62.
“I think I could have gone faster if I wasn’t pointing and celebrating, really,” Thompson-Herah told reporters after the big win. “But to show you that there’s more in store. Hopefully one day I can unleash that time.”
Megan Thee Stallion Becomes First Rapper To Cover Sports Illustrated
The “Houston Hottie” graced the cover of this year’s Sports Illustrated magazine that was all about women breaking boundaries inside and out of their respective fields. The “WAP” rhymer was the first rapper to appear on the storied magazine’s cover. After a triumphant year for Meg, who won three Grammys back in March, and used her platform to speak out against a myriad of social justice issues, it was a career-defining moment.
In addition to her Sports Illustrated cover, The “Hot Girl Summer” rapper topped off the year by finally graduating with her bachelor’s in health administration from Texas Southern University.
RELATED CONTENT: The Olympics Is A Site Of Black Excellence For These Athletic Women
