To Black people, hair is a source of identity and pride. For others to touch, harm, or violate it in any way is a personal affront to a Black individual’s being. This is why the need to protect the hair of Black women in the pool like Alice Dearing is so imperative.
Dearing, Great Britain’s first Black Olympic swimmer, embodies the pride and frustration felt by all Black women in the pool and in the sport.
She sports a curly afro, a style that demands certain care. So imagine what happens when she enters a chlorine-filled pool. The damaging effect has both a physical and mental impact upon Dearing, so she wears the best protection she can- the Soul Cap.
Soul Cap was created in 2017 after its founders weren’t able to find anything suitable to protect their hair. Since that time, the company claims to have distributed “40,000 swim caps to swimmers globally.”
For athletes like Dearing, the soul cap is a welcome solution to a long-standing problem. It protects and also addresses inclusion and acceptance, two hindering barriers that plague aquatic sports.
But the cap is prohibited at the Olympics where she is competing in the women’s 10k marathon swim.
This past June, FINA, the International Swimming Federation, banned its use from international competition. In their ruling, FINA stated that the larger caps, designed to protect curly hair and afros, did not follow “the natural form of the head.” They also pondered whether the caps could create an unfair advantage through water disruption.
This leaves Black women like Dearing in an uncomfortable position.
More Barriers to Entry in Swimming
In a sport that lacks diversity, Dearing already stands out. Now she has the additional burden of worrying about the lingering damage to her hair.
For those who love or are interested in swimming, FINA’s decision sends a message to diverse audiences that you are not welcome. It also highlights the long-standing feelings held by critics regarding the sport’s inherent inequalities.
“We believe that it confirms a lack of diversity in (the sport),” said Danielle Obe, founding member of the Black Swimming Association. “Aquatic swimming must do better.”
Some might scoff at Dearing’s plight, feeling the easy solution is to change her hairstyle or cut it down.
But Black hair, as we’ve written about previously, matters. Especially in sports.
Traditionally, Black women were coerced into certain hairstyles by their surroundings. In corporate life and in the media, hair choices for Black women were often limited.
As the fight against these social norms progressed, many companies adapted and rules (both written and unwritten) were relaxed or eliminated.
Now we see more Black women sporting hairstyles that channel the influential and trendsetting styles of powerful women like Angela Davis, Susan L. Taylor, and Halle Berry.
Inspirational styles that establish and strengthen their identity.
Black women are proudly and unapologetically wearing their hair in their own way, creating trends and flair that society is accepting.
And, infuriatingly, appropriating.
This freedom of expression and individuality extends to sports and athletes like Dearing. They have combatted racism, sexism, and a lack of acceptance to excel in their sport and represent their countries; all while retaining their individuality and identity.
It’s a fight that weighs heavily on Dearing.
“At certain times, I have really struggled in sport. I would lie if I said I had sailed through,” said Dearing to The Guardian.
Now, due to FINA’s ruling, these sportswomen of color face another barrier that hampers their progress and rights.
But the outcry and support for Alice Dearing and her fellow competitors in the sport have pushed FINA to reconsider its decision in September.
While this won’t help her Olympic gold medal quest this year in Tokyo, it could open the doors for more Black women to enter the pool in the future.
Let’s hope FINA understands the importance of Black hair and gets their decision right.
