How I Am Unlearning Black Girl Magic

692 words | 2 mins 46 secs read time

My niece is a competitive cheerleader. So she does a few things really, really well. Namely stunts, flips, coreo, and a super cute kinky-curl ponytail puff.

More than that, though, she’s even better at navigating a concept that I didn’t learn until well into adulthood — execution and failure.

Athletes learn that losing is as big a part of any sport. Serena Williams and Simone Biles both have huge losses under their belt. It took Michael Jordan seven seasons to win an NBA championship, meaning he lost six times. So athletes know loss.

Athletes also know what it’s like to learn something new. They know that in the beginning, they will likely suck. They will suck at their new skill in practice. Then they will perform it to the best of their ability at their first competition or game and still suck.

Despite this, athletes will …