You may have heard about the 36-year-old Olympic breakdancing sensation Rachel Gunn from Australia. She wowed the Olympic judges with her breaking routine scoring "0s" in all 3 rounds of the competition.

I was blessed to see Rachel's routine (and her scores) and wondered what the story was. It turns out Rachel Gunn aka Raygun is a researcher, college professor, badass B-girl, and SHERO to non-B-girls like me. You can learn more about her here.

Rachel's famous performance at the 2024 Olympics was intended to bring attention to her craft and efforts to define its magic using standards that should not be assigned by a governing body because, after all, how do you "define" something uniquely mastered by so many?

Rachel pushed back against the World Dance Sport Federation's decision to include breaking in the Olympics to draw younger audiences and competitors (think performative DEI). Breaking is not a gimmick. It represents a way of life for Rachel and many others. Suggesting that someone has to meet standards to be true to their craft is a false narrative but one that professionals face daily.

Activism and advocacy look for people willing to risk everything, no matter who is in the room, who is watching, or who will disapprove. Rachel's creativity was intentional and earned her 0s across the board. That was her lesson for us all. Rachel chose the most public stages to show her commitment and integrity.

I am here for it ALL DAY.

Signed,
The Angry Blk Wmn