The U.S. Olympic roster has been revealed and it appears Sha’Carri Richardson is not on it. The 21-year-old sprinter had hopes of participating in this summer’s Games in Tokyo and the 4×100 relay was her last chance to do just that.

Victory Girl, Toni, sounded off on Richardson’s suspension a few days back. She was suspended from running the 100-meter event because she tested positive for THC. Details on what happened that led up to her positive test:

In short, Sha’Carri found out from a reporter that her biological mom passed away. She was in Eugene, Oregon, where marijuana is legal but still is a substance of abuse on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s prohibited list. The 21-year-old, dubbed The Fastest Woman in America, was hoping for a chance to compete in the 4×100 relay but the released list did not reveal her name as one of the participants. Richardson has kept her head high, and admitted to bad judgement.

It would be detrimental to the integrity of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Track & Field if USATF amended its policies following competition, only weeks before the Olympic Games. All USATF athletes are equally aware of and must adhere to the current anti-doping code, and our credibility as the National Governing Body would be lost if rules were only enforced under certain circumstances. So while our heartfelt understanding lies with Sha’Carri, we must also maintain fairness for all of the athletes who attempted to realize their dreams by securing a place on the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team.”-USATF statement

Sha’Carri Richardson already has more class and maturity in her pinkie finger than Gwen Berry and the entire U.S. Women’s soccer team. After some tragic news, Richardson made a bad judgement call that ultimately, cost her the trip to Tokyo. To some, this can be seen as exactly what it is. Adult consequences for bad decisions. But according to some, this is just, plain racist.

Bs. Systemic racism as its finest.

— Aniruddha A. Iyengar (@AniruddhaAIyen1) July 6, 2021

Here we go, y’all…

The racism & sexism in these comments are real. It’s weed. Why is it even a rule? They don’t want to see black women achieve greatness

— Moose (@602Moose) July 6, 2021

Huh? So Sha’Carri Richardson is not on the roster but has this person seen the USATF women’s roster for Tokyo? Javianne Oliver, Teahna Daniels, Gabby Thomas, Anavia Battle, Quanera Hayes, Allyson Felix, Wadelin Jonathas, Kendall Ellis, Raven Rogers, Ajee’ Wilson? The list goes on. They don’t want to see Black women achieve greatness?

Phelps suffered a suspension and missed an event. Safe to say he’s had a successful run of it. Everyone trying to throw race or hate into this are ignorant. She didn’t follow the rules. She will be back, and I’m sure she will win. No need to create division over her mistake

— ThirtyofBud 🎮 (@thirtyofbudGMNG) July 7, 2021

Individuals are acting like Sha’Carri Richardson is the first athlete to get suspended for smoking pot. “It’s so racist”, they say. There they go again, trying to keep the Black woman down. You know who else smoked pot and got suspended? Michael Freakin’ Phelps! Phelps went on to win 23 medals and grace a box of Wheaties.

And while Creepy Joe said “rules are rules”, AOC sounded off on Richardson’s suspension.

Their decision lacks any scientific basis. It’s rooted solely in the systemic racism that’s long driven anti-marijuana laws.”-Alexandria Ocasio Cortez

Here we go with science again. Hey, AOC…newsflash…the white guy got suspended for using pot, too. Lots of folks sounding off on this. “It’s just pot”, they say. I mean, they’re letting a petulant child who protested the flag go to Tokyo. No racism there. Nobody trying to keep Gwen Berry down. Hell, we may even see another performance of this in Tokyo. Oh, the joy. A male competing as a female can go to Tokyo, too.

Then, there’s this:

The Olympics’ drug policy is effectively a continuation of the war on drugs, according to the Washington Post. This war is an inherently racist set of public policies introduced by Richard Nixon and continued by subsequent administrations. In 1998, the Clinton administration gave one million dollars to the international Olympic committee to “cleanse” drugs from sports, including recreational drugs, as the administration determined Olympians should be considered ‘role models.’

The implication that cannabis is in direct conflict with being a good ‘role model’ is a disgusting assumption by the government, which further perpetuates the villainization of people of color and sends a message that continued enforcement of racially targeted policies is moral, which it is so clearly not.”-Madeline Pukite, The DailyLobo

I love when white people try to explain this away. If we really want to, let’s look at positioning of marijuana shops in urban areas. Let’s look at who owns marijuana shops. Let’s talk crime near pot shops. If one looks at any upscale metropolitan area, one will notice that there are no pot shops in the “white” parts of town. What says this white beat reporter about Black teenage girls who may look up to Sha’Carri Richardson?

Crickets. It’s just pot. Sha’Carri Richardson is racially oppressed and should not be punished because it’s racist.

Pot’s main mind-altering ingredient, THC, affects developing teenage brains differently than those of adults, impacting receptors in the frontal lobe that influence executive functions like critical thinking and problem solving.”-Malia Jacobson, Seattlemag

She’ Carrie Richardson wasn’t doping Lance Armstrong-style. But she broke the rules and remained accountable. She is not blaming anyone else for this decision nor is she playing a victim. And, she’s not asking for an exception to this rule. Meanwhile, those of the perpetually offended masses will “boycott the Olympics” and show no support for the Black Americans who are representing the U.S.A. Those who can, will use this as race-bait and completely ignore the fact that Richardson is suffering consequences for her actions.. These are adult lessons. This is life. I sincerely hope to see Ms. Richardson in the next Olympic Games and hope she heals and grows this season.

Photo Credit: KCXD/FlickR/CC BY 2.0/Cropped