Was Breaking at the Paris Olympics a Mockery of a Black Art Form?

While there was no shortage of laughter and jokes in the Black community after the debut of breaking in the Paris Olympics, there were just as many critics who had smoke for the competition — specifically surrounding the performance of Australian b-girl Rachael “Raygun” Gunn after learning of her background. Suggested Reading My Hip-Hop Story: Michael Jai White Prefers What The Genre Used To Stand For Off English Suggested Reading If you missed it, both viewers and judges in Paris were unimpressed by Gunn’s performance, as she didn’t even make it past the first round. Advertisement Here is a short clip of her performance: Advertisement Many of us used her moves as an opportunity to make jokes, but some found it disrespectful and a mockery of an art that Black people originated. It was even more offensive after people learned that she has a a Ph.D. in cultural studies and breakdancing and hip-hop culture and is a lecturer at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. Some expressed that if she was so educated about the art, why did she go out and make a fool of herself? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One particular creator on TikTok expressed how the breaking competition at...