Sha’Carri Richardson: Hero or Villain

What kind of country are we promoting?

That's the question I ask myself daily.

I'll be honest, I didn't know who Sha'Carri Richardson was before her 15 minutes of fame. I didn't follow her career or know much about her personal life. Like most of the world, I was introduced to her when she got suspended from this year's Olympics for testing positive for marijuana.

Recently, Hip-hop icon Kanye West featured Richardson in a Beats by Dre commercial, where West also debuted his new song "Glory" off his much anticipated "Donda" album. That's right, on the back of a self-inflicted wound, Richardson found opportunity. Vaping organization Dr. Dabber — an organization specializing in all things weed — offered Richardson $250,000 to become one of their ambassadors.

Again, I ask, what kind of country are we promoting?

Let me make this abundantly clear: Sha' Carri Richardson is no hero. I repeat, Sha'Carri Richardson is no hero. She is not a martyr. Nor is she a victim. Nor is she a sympathetic figure or a basketcase. And she sure as hell shouldn't be celebrated or have her "cause" championed.

She is a product of everything right and wrong with this country right now.

This country has an obsession with celebrities. We put entertainers such as athletes, actors and actresses, and rappers on a pedestal. We only care about Richardson because she's an American sprinter and is rather good at what she does. Her talent is what endears her to us. Richardson is an example of the doors that can open if you work hard enough in a particular field.

But she's also an example of the doors that can open if victimhood mentality is normalized.

Now to her credit, she has not played the victim role. She took responsibility on national television for her actions and apologized to her fans, her country, and her sponsors. My issue isn't with her. It's with the people who are using her story to push a particular narrative.

The hashtag #LetHerRun gained momentum on the most dangerous place in these Internet streets: Black Twitter. Because in 2021, we're not mad about something in society until a hashtag and slogan accompany our anger.

The only thing that stopped Sha'Carri Richardson from running was Sha'Carri Richardson.

It's the lack of accountability for me.

Richardson's incident wasn't just a chance to have an age-old discussion surrounding the schism in our country over the legalization of marijuana. Still, it also gave us an opportunity for introspection. We missed the boat.

Social media missed the boat, as they customarily do. And that's because social media in the last ten years has become a bully pulpit. The apps we enjoy are now an echo chamber, where groupthink is not only encouraged and fostered but critical thinking is discouraged and stifled. There is zero tolerance for contrarian points of view.

Reality check: Everything and everybody isn't racist!

The issue isn't that Richardson wants to smoke marijuana. The problem is that she wanted to smoke marijuana while trying to compete for the Olympics. The National Olympic committee makes it clear that they have zero tolerance for marijuana use.

Do I love the rule? No. However, it exists for a reason. Richardson knew that. Everyone on Twitter defending her knew that. So, why all the outrage?

Until we're ready to have an honest conversation, we will find ourselves here the next time a story like this arises.