Scuba, skydiving and golf: Black adults embrace sports that defy stereotypes and bring joy
Many Black people are finding joy, community, thrills and a bigger sense of the world through activities that were once inaccessible.
Tonya Parker was not looking to add another activity to her life. She traveled the world as a flight attendant and regularly practiced ballet and yoga. She was not searching for new friends, either. A graduate of Spelman College in Atlanta, she had plenty.
With two grown children who made her proud, Parker’s life was full — or so she thought.
The Covid-19 pandemic led her to a sport she had considered mundane: golf. She was invited to a few golf events and participated. She struggled. But one day, thinking of how tired she was of her friends making fun of her golf game, Parker secretly began taking lessons. Soon enough, her friends noticed improvement. And she noticed her own growing passion for the sport.
“I never thought that a Black woman like me, 63 years old, would ever find something that I just absolutely love at this point of my life,” Parker said. “It’s opened up a whole new world for me.”
Tonya Parker holds her golf ball after a hole in one.Courtesy Tonya ParkerIt’s not just Parker. Many Black people are finding joy in activities that were once inaccessible because of systemic racism or were not culturally traditional pursuits in Black communities. These forays have become emblematic of the ways Black people celebrate the freedom and flexibility they have, and how they are using it to escape the rigors of life — personally, socially and politically.
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