The Daily Show: Ears Edition - CP Time - America's Trailblazing Black Gymnasts

Episode Date: July 29, 2021

Roy Wood Jr. discusses pioneering Black gymnasts, such as Sid Oglesby, who became the first African American to win an NCAA title, and Gabby Douglas, who achieved unparalleled Olympic glory. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When 60 Minutes premiered in September 1968, there was nothing like it. This is 60 Minutes. It's a kind of a magazine for television. Very few have been given access to the treasures in our archives. But that's all about to change. Like none of this stuff gets looked at. That's what's incredible. I'm Seth Done of CBS News. Listen to 60 Minutes, a second look on Apple podcasts starting September 17.

You're listening to Comedy Central. Mmm. Welcome to CP Time. The only show that's for the culture. Today we'll be discussing black gymnast. Simone Biles is only the latest in a long history of black gymnast, making you feel bad for not being able to toue. Gymnast like Sid Oglesby, who in 1964 became the first African-American to win an

NCAA title. His event was the Long Horse, which I'm sure is impressive, but to me, the Long Horse just looked like somebody put legs on a twinkie. Oglesby got his start when his brother bet him he couldn't climb a rope. And Sid was so determined to prove his brother wrong, he started training in gymnastics, which I can relate to. My brother once told me that I didn't have the courage to eat a bug, so damn it I ate a whole jaw of bugs. Now I'm addicted to the things. I'm having a time of my life during cicado season. But Oglesby wasn't just a star athlete.

He was also an activist for justice. As a student, Oglesby demanded that his university stop competing against schools that were racially segregated, which is bold, because college gymnasts don't usually have a lot of leverage at their school. Usually students don't even know that their school has gymnast until one day they flip it through the channels and they see the dude from biology on ESPN3. Moving on to our next gymnast. Wendy Hildyard, in the 1980s she represented the United States in international competition for a record nine years. It's a long time to be doing gymnastics.

After nine years your knees are going to be doing gymnastics. After nine years your knees are going to be asking your elbows to swap. But Wendy's truck to the top was paved with discrimination. In 1983, Wendy was denied a spot on the US team and when she asked her coach why, he said, Wendy, you stand out too much. Which is the worst excuse I've ever heard. It's gymnastics. Those people are doing back flips and sequined leotards. You tell me how you're supposed to do that and blend in.

Hillier didn't give up, though. She and her mother made phone calls and even sent faxes to US gymnastics until they accepted her on the team. That's the most righteous use of a fax machine since that time I faxed my ex-wife those court documents giving me joint custody of our tomagach. I want to be a part of his life, Deborah. He needs a father. Up next is the incredible Dominique Dahls, the first black American to win an individual Olympic medal in women's gymnastics and a dominant gymnast of the 1990s.

Her greatness was even recognized by royalty itself when the artist Prince put her in the music video for Betcha Bagala now. And if you ask me, that's a much better award than any medal. Who cares about gold, when you can say you were surrounded by purple. And finally, we come to Gabby Douglas, a woman who accomplished a ridiculous number of feats before she was even old enough to get car insurance. In 2012, Douglas became the first African-American woman in Olympic history to become an individual all-around champion. All around.

That means everything. The flipping, twisting, the bars, the beans. She was doing more in the air than JetBlue. Douglas went on to win even more goals in the 2016 Olympics. And even had her face put on a box of corn flakes. I used to see every time my ex-wife threw the flakes in the cart telling me I need to watch out for my cholesterol.

I need to watch out for the time I got you, Deborah. Well that's all the time we have for today. I'm Roywood Junior. And this has been CP time. And remember, we'll fund the culture. Now, if you'll excuse me, it's still cicada season. This type of buffet only comes around every 17 years. The Daily Show with Trevor Noah Ears Edition. Subscribe to the Daily Show on YouTube for exclusive content and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount Plus. This has been a Comedy Central podcast. When 60 Minutes premiered in September 1968, there was nothing like it.

This is 60 Minutes. It's a kind of a magazine for television. Very few have been given access to the treasures in our archives. But that's all about to change. Like none of this stuff gets looked at. That's what's incredible. I'm Seth Done of CBS News. Listen to 60 Minutes, a second look, starting September 17th, wherever you get your podcasts.