Black Excellence

Has anyone seen the amazing floor routine by UCLA's gymnast Nia Dennis?! If you haven't I highly suggest it! You can watch it here. The video from her floor routine this weekend caught my attention on many levels. Not only did she display the highest level of athleticism, but she also provided many powerful images and movements throughout her short time on the floor. I found her routine to be extremely important and wanted to share her Black excellence with the class. 

If you watched the video, you may have noticed a lot of powerful images Nia provided that have the audience reflecting on many historical and cultural events. Although the kids watched Nia fly through the air, dance beautifully, and overall nail one of the best routines, they were also experiencing her being her true authentic self. They were able to see her kneel with her fist in the air, represent her sorority, and have her entire routine to popular influential music. She was able to express herself out on the mat and show everyone who was watching who she was despite the criticism she may face. 

Ms. Dennis is just the first of many people we will be inspired by for the remaining of the year. She will inspire us to be our true and authentic selves, stand up for what we believe in, and be a role model to us all. Nia Dennis displayed just a small portion of her Black excellence in a short amount of time. I look forward to the coming weeks and learning more about people that look like all of our children. 

Please enjoy the the floor routines our PM class came up with today, it was seriously too cute!