Breakdancing has long been a part of the culture, born in the Bronx alongside hip-hop in the 1970s. Young dancers defied gravity by spinning on their heads atop cardboard boxes to a hip-hop beat. When breakdancing debuted at the 2024 Olympics, many overlooked the sport's Black roots. We shouldn't.
At the height of breakdancing’s popularity, city officials demonized or banned the dance style despite the way that our communities used breakdancing for good. Breaking was always more than street entertainment. It was lifesaving.
New York City was in a deep financial crisis, and gang violence was rising in the South Bronx. Breakers flipped conflict into truces, preventing what could have once been fatal altercations with their moves. Afrika Bambaataa emerged as a peacemaker and founded the Mighty Zulu Kings crew to help youth find positive channels for their energy.
Many upholders of anti-Blackness love to call us "culture-less." But we know that's a lie, and there's a long history of mainstream America stealing and exporting our culture, erasing its origins, and selling it for global consumption. The history of minstrel shows proves it never hits the same when they cosplay our culture.
Remember, we are the creators of many of the most beloved elements of American culture, including country music, jazz, and breaking. These are parts of Black culture and will always be ours, no matter how hard anyone tries to pretend they aren’t. They not like us.