Gabby Douglas draws fire for racism claim
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Has Gabby Douglas gone from America’s sweetheart to America’s lightning rod?
The Olympic gold medalist is under fire after she said in an interview with Oprah Winfrey that she was the victim of racism at the gym where she trained in Virginia Beach.
She told Winfrey about one incident in which a teammate at Excalibur Gymnastics told her to do something because she was their slave.
“I definitely felt isolated,” Douglas said in the interview. “I felt, ‘Why do I deserve this? Is it because I’m black?’ ”
Her former coach and others associated with Excalibur blasted the claim.
“Really, I was shocked and very hurt,” former coach Dena Walker told NewsChannel 3 in Hampton Roads.
Gustavo Moure, CEO of Excalibur, went even further, suggesting that Douglas was lying.
“I wish to defend the children that trained with her and supported her when she attacks them with these allegations,” he told E! News. “Is Gabrielle a credible person just because she is an Olympic champion? She is not giving any names or dates, leading us to believe that the accusation is fake.”
“Gabby’s remarks were hurtful and without merit,” he told GymNewstics.com. “We’ve had more African-Americans in elite and on the national team than any other gym in the country.”
Former teammates also blasted her.
“This is absolutely ridiculous,” Randy Stageburg, a former National Team member, told GymNewstics.com. “Gabby was never a victim, in fact many would say she was one of the favorites. I am not saying that she never felt bullied because when you are in a sport with a bunch of girls it is bound to happen. However, anything that she may have felt was never about race and I can assure you everyone at some point has felt bullied.
“I watched Dena open her home to Gabby, feeding her, taking her to gym, and allowing her to stay over her house whenever Gabby wanted to,” he said.
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306 comments Add your comment
Just Saying
August 29th, 2012
12:46 pm
@ Reality — THANK YOU!! You summed it up perfectly!!! I am so sick and freakin tired of working hard, supporting my family and being a responsible citizen of my community by paying my taxes and paying back my debts …. while others continue to irresponsibily procreate without regard to their fellow man and making any effort to leave behind a better world for our children.
And in return for doing the right thing and subsidizng other people (through MY taxes), what do I get? Oh, that’s right .. I am called a “racist” and am hated for the color of MY skin, which is a beautiful shade of white, which, by the way, I’m proud of, thank you very much!!
And to the black brethren, here is a huge news flash for ya’ll — The ancestors of the vast majority of whites in this country were NOT living in this country in the 1700’s and 1800’s, and therefore, were never slave owners … so PLEASE do not do what you accuse the white folk of doing …. uniformily hating ALL whites just cuz they’re white!! YES, YES you do that!!!
As for “racism”, as a “white chickie”, I too have been subjected to racism. When I was young and in school, I had my hair touched/pulled and been called many racial slurs (particularly by black girls — don’t know why?). I guess because I’m white, however, that doesn’t count as racism, right??????? LOL
who cares
August 29th, 2012
12:47 pm
melky cabrerra
dwight gooden
lawrence taylor
barry bonds
oj simpson
all cheated cant play by the rules,
USMC2841
August 29th, 2012
12:47 pm
A world-famous sixteen year old on TV with the estimated endorsements of 100 million dollars over her lifetime. I can tell her race has been a real detriment to her life struggles.
Hey "who cares"
August 29th, 2012
12:47 pm
Who cares, you momma loves black men……I’m your Daddy boy!!
Hey "who cares"
August 29th, 2012
12:47 pm
Who cares, your momma loves black men……I’m your Daddy boy!!
Tell It Like It Is
August 29th, 2012
12:48 pm
Oprah set Gabby up on this one. Gabby should have been more responsible and not taken the bait. Gabby brought up one incident (giving her the benefit of the doubt that the statement even occurred) from long ago, and she admittedly had no idea whether the comment was related to race! She should never have said such a thing based on such frail evidence.
This is the problem with the liberal media today. They aren’t happy unless they contrive or exacerbate a racial event. Gabby would never have made it to square one without the support and training of many white persons along the way, and most of us know this fact. Many of us are just smiling about the agenda of the liberal media AGAIN.
5150 UOAD`
August 29th, 2012
12:48 pm
who cares………….go smoke a black pole and then a white pole. would hate for you to discriminate or possibly be racist towards having a black male lover.
reality
August 29th, 2012
12:49 pm
only blondes who are white date black men
like it says once you do black,never go back
ask romneys mate ryan
JuneBug
August 29th, 2012
12:50 pm
Its a black problem that will never be resolved. Just let the black keep killing themselves and being taken advantage of by their own kind.
Its all they want or know.
Matt
August 29th, 2012
12:51 pm
Ramzad- Who makes up the majority of the “projects” or the ‘hood”. And where are these typically located? That’s right, the correct answer to both is blacks and the inner city. I’m not being required to pay for the middle class black family in suburbia.
Forcing things on people is not a way to make them accepting. It only causes resentment.
RAMZAD
August 29th, 2012
12:53 pm
It is easy to see black people looting, and I do not condone it on bit. However, that is just a symptom of a society where minorities are always suspects, always victims of police brutality, always victims of a manipulated education and political systems.
Idiots here want to say look what they are doing, but fail to see that whites less than fifty years ago had it so that blacks had to ride in the back of the bus and could not buy a sandwich at the front of the business. Fact is that kind of behavior is now moved into boardrooms and staff rooms. I don’t buy all that bull chips, because I am thinking for myself. Their property were taken over. Even the US Military were experimenting on them without knowledge. Blacks are still slaves in America. They just get to go home now.
Now we all expect them to be upright citizen Q. Get real…. It would be nice if whites would give minorities the start they need real equality. Like Bob Marley said. “Set your captive free….” Set your captive free….”
Smarter than ANY Republican
August 29th, 2012
12:53 pm
@ WhoCares – does your mommy know you are playing on the computer. Naptime! This is for adults! Try YahooKids or Nickoledeon website, although they may be more advanced for you as well….
who cares
August 29th, 2012
12:53 pm
i own a small business with 55 employees.
neither of them are black simply because of background checks,i do work with banks,and you must have exceptional credit.
Blacks dont have this.
In case you are wandering most whites dont either,why most of my employees are japanese,chinese,etc.but wait i am a racist right?
go f yourselves
who cares
August 29th, 2012
12:55 pm
you are stupind no matter what color you are if you are always expecting a handout from the govt.
Sash
August 29th, 2012
12:56 pm
Carz is a troll! keep bringing up the examples. Don’t forget to include James Holmes (white), Timothy McVeigh (white), the Columbine boys (white), etc.
JuneBug, it’s your problem.
Arod
August 29th, 2012
12:57 pm
I am a black man, born in the South, raised in the South. I have experienced racism, still experience racism and will continue to experience racism. But, sadly enough racism doesn’t just come from a particular color, it comes from EVERYWHERE, ALL COLORS. Blacks discriminatE against blacks and whites discriminate agianst other whites…etc. When does it get old. If one feel they have been discriminated against, that is their right. BUT IT DOESN’T MAKE ALL THE PEOPLE IN THAT ETHIC GROUP RACIST. I BET NO ONE DISCRIMINATE AGAINST “GREEN BACKS…LOL
I remember
August 29th, 2012
12:57 pm
The Gym owners response reminds me of the Cleveland Cav owner’s attitude when Lebron left.
Make your haters your motivators!
who cares
August 29th, 2012
12:58 pm
RAMZAD
August 29th, 2012
12:53 pm
It is easy to see black people looting, and I do not condone it on bit
of course you dont you want something for nothing
come to my neighbor hood and we have a 357 for you.
and my neighborhood is 60/40
we believe white or black if you work hard you can have whatever you want
The Truth
August 29th, 2012
12:58 pm
Come on people, if “her royal highness” supports it…it Has to be true.
JuneBug
August 29th, 2012
12:59 pm
“Make your haters your motivators!”
More mindless droning from the mindless sheep.
ZJ
August 29th, 2012
12:59 pm
Anything Gabby endorses I wont use, any place she endorses, I won’t go. OBAMA! OBAMA! HOPE and CHANGE! Give me a f’ing break!
Tag
August 29th, 2012
1:00 pm
Everything is being turned into racial terms.
You could race turtles and someone would say it’s racist.
Hawks Blog Legend Worldwide Clyde
August 29th, 2012
1:01 pm
Dude that broke into LL Cool J’s house and got his azz whipped was white. Where is his mugshot in the media?
reality
August 29th, 2012
1:01 pm
everyone complains,whine about illegals yet i dont see none of you doing anything about it.probably because since u r on welfare you really dont care
Martel
August 29th, 2012
1:03 pm
I has some white guy at work tell me he dont respec black men cause we sometime slap out women around a bit. He don t every think that maybe it cultural differences from the whites and sometime they slap us back even
JuneBug
August 29th, 2012
1:03 pm
Since LL beat up on that white dude I guess that makes him racist OR the white guy was racist for braking into LL crib?
claytondawg
August 29th, 2012
1:03 pm
I was bullied in the 6th grade. I’m now 65, so I’m going back to the elementary school AND the system itself to sue for gross negligence. Since I’m 65, I DESERVE THIS. I’m entitlled to some compensation!!! We all grew up with factions, with other students who cared more about themselves than anyone else, and tried to utilize what vulnerability they could to enhance a certain power (if you will) over us. We dealt with it. Gabby is not the issue here; she’s intelligent and will get through this situation terrifically. What this society doesn’t need are its Oprah’s, Sharpton’s, and Wright’s.
reality
August 29th, 2012
1:04 pm
plenty of jobs out there but so many of you dont wanna work
white or black you all are lazy.
i dont hire people who sit on there butts for 6 months or longer.
i ask employees all the time what you been doing besides drwing unemployment?
least the mexicans want to work unlike some of you
Matt
August 29th, 2012
1:06 pm
This country is a melting pot for all sorts of races and ethnicities. I’m a white person of Irish decent but call myself a white American, not an Irish American. The born and bred “white people” of this country are what we refer to today as “rednecks”. The vast majority of them are probably racist. To my knowledge their were no plantations in Colorado but rather in the South. White people as a whole get tired of getting grouped together with a very small percentage of their race who seem to taint the perception of said race, just as black people do.
Not all blacks are thugs. This is true. Not all white people are racist. This is also true. That being said, my taxes are being raised because of the small percentage of the black community that can’t seem to act like responsible adults and conform to a societal norm. And why should they? What is the motivation to right the ship?
White people as a race are thought of negatively by blacks as a bunch of slave owning “crackers” who are just out to hold them back. Yet who is the first person they call when the need help? Whitey. Whose responsibility is it to help support the immature, irresponsible, inner city community? Whitey.
Whose responsibility is it to fill a quota of employees and students with blacks? Whitey.
Whose responsibility was it to help Katrina victims despite the looting, the shooting at rescuers, the irresponsible spending of the money given? Whitey.
Should I keep going?
I remember
August 29th, 2012
1:07 pm
“More mindless droning from the mindless sheep”
Your mama’s a sheep and I’m a white farmer in Iowa…..
reality
August 29th, 2012
1:07 pm
hey get off the computer and go scub some toilets
stop being angry,hang on welfare check is coming on the 1st.be paitent
GrowUp
August 29th, 2012
1:07 pm
Why cant people be people and disagree, have a bad day, accidentally say something to someone else w/o the race card. Oprah and Obama love this more than anything, segregate and manipulate.
If black America wants equality you have to let go of racism also. The most notorious 21st century racists are black; Spike Lee, Jesse, Al, and the likes. She wasn’t calling anyone racist directly, therefore she shouldnt have said it. If this actually happened she should stand tall and tell facts w/ time and names, otherwise its senseless and hurtful to black and white ralations. Just famous blacks dont seem to care about that.
Lawrence in the CP
August 29th, 2012
1:08 pm
Martel you got no right unless she hit you first. Just wrong.
Dee T.
August 29th, 2012
1:08 pm
You cannot cast doubt on how someone “felt” or believed they were treated. This young girl simply mentioned how she felt. I wish her continued success. She made our country proud.
Matt
August 29th, 2012
1:10 pm
Tell you what Ramzad, as of today you are set free. Set free of our support. Good luck.
reality
August 29th, 2012
1:10 pm
people should help themselves reguardless of color
white,black,whatever if you choose to want to live wherever then thats fine
QUIT ASKING THE GOVT.FOR HELP IF YOU GET STRANDED OR FLOODED
WHAT A BUNCH OF WHINEY BABIES
reality
August 29th, 2012
1:13 pm
Case in point 15 blacks arrested for looting
several people rescued by national guard
idiotic people both ways
Dee T.
August 29th, 2012
1:13 pm
Matt: Your responsibility is to try and NOT be the bigot that you appear to be with your obnoxious comments regarding minorities. There are MANY more whites on welfare than all minorities combined………have you watched “Honey Boo Boo Chile” ?
JuneBug
August 29th, 2012
1:14 pm
“Oprah and Obama”
Dont forget Holder…Mr Ineptitude.
Miss J
August 29th, 2012
1:14 pm
Here’s a challenge.
If you not a person of color than you will never know or understand what’s it’s like to be subjected to a look, a gesture or even a comment that you wonder if it’s because you’re black.
I wish White Americans could trade places (just for a day) with an person of color and see exactly what it’s like….
Until you experience it for yourself — you will never understand it what’s it’s like…..
4xtra
August 29th, 2012
1:15 pm
we KNOW she is NOT lying
Why are you right wingers bitchin about
race cards
Al and Jesse
Liberal this and that?
I have seen that type of behavior in the past myself……
You right wingers are nothin more than the KKK in a 3 peice siut
JuneBug
August 29th, 2012
1:15 pm
Dee T.
August 29th, 2012
1:13 pm
Percentage wise, maybe.
Ratio wise…not even close.
NEXT!
RAMZAD
August 29th, 2012
1:15 pm
Who Cares: You are one of those who believes that your salvation is going to come out of a gun. But if I am going to come to your neighborhood I am coming with a .40HK and USAF combat experience, so
pray that I don’t come to your neighborhood whatever hole that is.
reality
August 29th, 2012
1:15 pm
Dee T.
August 29th, 2012
1:13 pm
Matt: Your responsibility is to try and NOT be the bigot that you appear to be with your obnoxious comments regarding minorities. There are MANY more whites on welfare than all minorities combined
where are your sources please?
if thats the case you do know that whites make up over 70%of the population yet blacks at 19% of the population commit 60%of all the crime in the us?
Matt
August 29th, 2012
1:17 pm
Wanna get this country back on track? Reward hard work. Worry about yourself and your family. Demand more from our govt. Instead of spending your 10 million dollars on a S. African school how bout you spend that money to better the schools in this country. Instead of feeding the hungry in Africa how bout we worry about feeding the hungry here. Bad decisions and irresponsible behavior comes with consequences. This country has plenty of problems of it’s own that need to be solved before we go and try and fix everyone else’s.
Carz
August 29th, 2012
1:18 pm
We get those looks too in the opposite situation, Miss J.
reality
August 29th, 2012
1:19 pm
when was the last time you heard an illegal commiting a crime?
lately its the whites/blacks
blacks/no sports or post offices,very few blacks work at ups/too hard
walmart/no mexicans forget it
whites/need someone to take charge
lol
LJones
August 29th, 2012
1:20 pm
To Matt:
Not all blacks are thugs. This is true. Not all white people are racist. This is also true. That being said, my taxes are being raised because of the small percentage of the black community that can’t seem to act like responsible adults and conform to a societal norm. And why should they? What is the motivation to right the ship? –
So are you saying that the only race of people in this country that don’t pull their weight and ‘conform to a societal norm’ are black?
Whose responsibility was it to help Katrina victims despite the looting, the shooting at rescuers, the irresponsible spending of the money given? Whitey
You don’t think you should have to go to New Orleans to help Americans, but you’re perfectly fine using your tax dollars to help natural disaster victims in Myanmar, Japan and anywhere else in the world…except where there are black people.
Perfect example of the fact that racism does still exist…
come on people
August 29th, 2012
1:20 pm
Some of you people are utterly clueless. What world are you living in. Black people did not just one day wake up and decide that white people are mean and racist for no reason. Are you kidding me. It is they way white people have historically treated black people and other minorities in this country and around the world that makes black people feel this way. She has every right to wonder if she was called a slave because she is black. Slavery is the epitome of racism to a black person. Whatever you feel about Jackson and Sharpton has no bearing on the existence of racism in this country. “Stirring the pot” as some of you have put it does not mean there is nothing there to stir and it certanly doesn’t mean that letting the pot simmer is going to make your granddaddy like my granddadd any better.
Topp Dogg
August 29th, 2012
1:20 pm
Oprah =fat, sloppy,nasty,nappy but she is rich so give her a pass please.