When track star Florence "Flo-Jo" Griffith Joyner stepped on the track, she usually wore bright one-legged body suits and bedazzled acrylic nails. She was the fastest woman in the world, and beloved for both her athletic excellence and traffic-stopping beauty.
In a 1992 interview, Flo Jo said, "It doesn't matter what you wear. It's what you believe you could do." And she undoubtedly believed in herself. One of her most iconic sets, worn during the Seoul Summer Olympics, featured two gold nails, symbolizing Griffith Joyner's hope for bringing home the highest medal.
She did just that.
Flo-Jo never switched up. She wasn't afraid to sport the Black beauty aesthetics as part of her culture and self-expression, although, on the world stage, they are often considered "ghetto" by racist standards. The Olympic champion’s legacy still inspires our people today.
Parallels have been drawn between Flo Jo and Sha'carri Richardson, who also leaves it all on the track, often sporting flame-colored hair and long, beautiful nails.
Richardson once credited Flo-Jo as an inspiration: "Flo-Jo came to the track and knew she was going to dominate... If the amazing Flo-Jo had long nails, there was no excuse why I couldn't have long nails."
We shouldn't dim our brightness or hide our culture to appease anyone. Blackness is a divine blessing, and that's truly winning.