This year’s Olympic Games were an eye opening breakthrough for African-Americans as they added a little more color to the winner’s circle.

It is said that history only repeats itself, something like déjà vu, and I would have to say I agree. African-Americans made their first appearance in the Olympic games 80 years ago.

According an article on Huffington Post, “Jesse Owens Was Brave. So Were These 17 Other Black Olympians,” the famous 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany was just one of the many major breakthroughs by African-Americans.

While everyone only remembers that Olympic year for Jesse Owen’s outstanding performances, there were more African Americans that pushed through as well. If you’re not familiar with this specific era, I can tell you it wasn’t the prettiest of times.

Berlin was a city run by Adolf Hitler at the time.

A man who decided to create genocide against Jewish people and was not at all a fan of Blacks.

If you are wondering what this small history lesson has to do with anything, don’t hurt your head trying to put all of the pieces together.

All you need to know is that from then up to now African-Americans have broken through a sports barrier.

This fence up against African-Americans put restraint on many talented amateur athletes, while white athletes took all the credit for being named the best athletes in the world.

Of course, coming back to the present day, there is not as much of a divide as it was then but there is a fine line. African-Americans stepped outside the comfort zone of the stereotypes people place on them.

This meaning, they did not only pursue gold medals in events that are known to be minority dominated. Across the board, African-Americans could be spotted on podiums.

USA Track and Field’s Usain Bolt once again remains the world’s fastest, most untouchable man in sprint racing. If Gabby Douglas wasn’t enough with her 2012 London appearance she came back and continued to wow the crowds.

Douglas wasn’t alone this year as a new face, Simone Biles, appeared in the spotlight claiming her title as the best gymnast in the world.

Biles came to compete and strutted the podiums with bling style. USA Track and Field’s Allyson Felix got the title of the most decorated female in the Olympics.

She earned yet another individual medal in the 400 meter dash and additional medals from the 4×100 and 4x4the 4×100 and 4×400 meter team relays. If you’re not impressed yet, it doesn’t stop their USA swimmer Simone Manuel took gold in the women’s 100m freestyle. A major breakthrough of adding color to a different sport.

So you see, African-Americans were once upon a time held back.

They were brainwashed for years to think that they were not capable of being great in the same superior dominated sports.

I can’t speak for us all, but the world as we know it is changing. Everything is not simply white and black anymore. Too see how far African-American people have come and how they continue to break through walls of color dominance is life changing.

Camelia Nicholson can be reached at 581-2812 or cdnicholson@eiu.edu