DeJesus’ routine doesn’t show an athlete dominating at a traditionally white sport despite her race. It was an athlete celebrating her race in the context of a traditionally white sport. In under two minutes, DeJesus — blue hair, hip-hop beats and all — showed that black bodies and black culture belong in gymnastics.
She also found a cute way to integrate everything from the Quan to the Nae Nae, the Whip and even the Harlem Shake into her routine. She absolutely killed it. And while she didn’t get the perfect score that UCLA fans and viewers of the video felt that she deserved, DeJesus did get something very close–a 9.925. And a viral video
