Days after the fatal police shooting of a 22-year-old Black man in Minneapolis, a 12-year-old swimmer wanted to show community solidarity at a swim meet just over the Minnesota-Wisconsin border.
She wore a swimsuit with the phrase “Black Lives Matter” on it, which nearly disqualified her from the event. Leidy – the young swimmer – stood her ground and was eventually able to compete.
Sarah Lyons, Leidy’s mother, said her daughter “is very passionate about social justice. She has been through a lot already at a young age. It’s a big part of her which I think is wild at 12,” according to KBJR.
According to the Duluth, Minn., NAACP, Leidy was told that she would have to change out of her swimsuit since it was “making a political statement” or she would be disqualified.
“She said, ‘mom, I’m not taking the suit off, and I said ‘you go girl’ and ‘okay,’” said Lyons.
Some swimming competition guidebooks allow for political messages on swim gear and some do not. For example, the USA Swimming guidelines prohibit advertisement of political statements on swimwear, while U.S. Masters Swimming guidelines allow for the advertisement of political statements.
As of Wednesday, a state meet handbook for Minnesota YMCA swimming was still being updated, according to the organization website. Sunday’s meet in Superior, Wisc., was the sectional competition.
Furthermore, Black Lives Matter is not actually a “political” statement, according to the U.S. Office of Special Counsel.
“BLM is a ‘hot-button’ issue and both politically and culturally salient,” said the office in an advisory issued during July 2020. “But BLM terminology is issue-based, not a campaign slogan. Therefore, using BLM terminology, without more, is not political activity.”
“This is a humanitarian issue. It’s not political. It’s human. It’s humanizing something,” said Classie Dudley, President of the Duluth Branch NAACP.
Black Lives Matter is the name of an organization founded in 2013 following the acquittal of George Zimmerman, a man who fatally shot Trayvon Martin, an unarmed Black teenager. Members have also brought attention to other crimes against Black people, such as the killing of Breonna Taylor at the hands of Louisville, Ky., police executing a no-knock warrant.
Following the murder of George Floyd – an unarmed Black man who was killed by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in May 2020 – the group and slogan were often featured in the media.
The organization’s mission “is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes,” said its website.
During protests this weekend of the fatal shooting of Amir Locke, the 22-year-old man Minneapolis police officer Mark Hanneman found while executing a no-knock warrant last Wednesday, marchers carried “Black Lives Matter” signs.
After an unidentified official attempted to disqualify Leidy from the competition Sunday, administration from the Duluth and Superior YMCA came to the Superior High School and overruled them. Additionally, those officials who attempted to disqualify her were removed, according to the NAACP.
“We need to protect our young Black girls and stand up against racism without being performative,” said the Duluth NAACP. “For our allies that showed up we thank you! For organizations that claim to stand against racism we need you to stand up in the moment and not let this continue to happen. The Duluth NAACP was ready to shut the meet down until Leidy was allowed to compete and we need everybody to come with that same energy!”
“There were 500 people in that room, and nobody noticed what was going on,” said Lyons. “It is a really good example of what is actual allyship and what is performative allyship in those moments when people need you to stand up even if it’s not in your best interest.”
Leidy’s story went on to make national headlines this week and NBA basketball player Lebron James gave Lyons a call after he heard about the incident.
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