Simone Biles Doesn't Owe Us Anything

Also: Teaching America's Complicated History ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  [View in Browser]( | [Donate [WBUR]]( [WBUR](  [WBUR]( August 1, 2021 Dear Cog reader, One of the biggest stories out of the Tokyo Olympics this week was Simone Biles’ decision to withdraw from competition. The 24-year-old gymnast decided to step aside, citing the need to care for her mental health. Biles is the reigning world champion – and was considered a shoe-in for gold at the Games. She’s also the only gymnast who was still competing after being sexually assaulted by former U.S. Gymnastics team doctor [Larry Nassar]( which she said was a motivating factor in her decision to compete this year. We knew we wanted to cover Biles’ decision at Cog, and ended up going with two takes on this big sports story (that’s really about so much more than sports): sharp analysis from sportswriter [Melissa Ludtke]( and a personal essay by [Theresa Okokon](. Okokon isn’t a huge gymnastics fan. Or the “GOAT of anything,” as she [writes](. But Biles gave her something powerful this week: a reminder that she has nothing to prove, to anyone. (Neither do you.) And really, the only thing we must do is understand why we do what we do. Be sure to listen to this piece, too. P.S.– We have a quick favor to ask: if you like the newsletter, can you write us a one sentence testimonial about what you like about it? We may use it on social media or in other WBUR emails to promote this newsletter. You can reply to this email to share. Please also include whether you're OK with us using your first name. Thanks in advance! -- Cloe Axelson and Frannie Carr Toth Cognoscenti editors newsletters@wbur.org Must Reads url[Simone Biles Can Fly, But She's So Much More Than Her Wings]( I am constantly reminding myself that I don't have anything to prove, writes Theresa Okokon. Neither do you. And neither does Simone. [Read more](.   #%23%23[Twitter](  #%23%23[Facebook](    ['There Is Grave Danger In Proscribing The Narrative': Teaching America's Complicated History]( We imperil our nation and jeopardize its growth if we fail to confront and learn from the entirety of the American experience, writes Roger Brooks, no matter how painful or uncomfortable some parts of it may be. [Read more](. [The 'Simultaneity' Of Naomi Osaka]( Naomi Osaka wears an expression I have come to know well, writes Anri Wheeler: of confidence and uncertainty, of sure footing while trailblazing. Her simultaneity. [Read more](.  Support the news [Simone Biles' Competitive Glory Will Fade. But Her Message About Mental Health Will Endure]( Long after the cauldron’s flame is extinguished in Tokyo, writes Melissa Ludtke, Biles’ words will burn brightly. [Read more](. [Fox News Targeted My Town’s Summer Reading List. Here's What They Missed]( The conservative news outlet recently published a screed online against my town’s summer reading list for kids, writes Belmont's Rich Barlow. Here's what they got wrong. [Read more](. [Mass. Should Expand Medicaid To Undocumented Immigrants]( It would cost Massachusetts roughly $129 million a year to expand Medicaid to undocumented adults over the age of 50, writes David Velasquez. It's the smart – and right – thing to do. [Read more](. What We're Reading “It is unfair and potentially even deceptive to try to peer into her head and delineate the exact shape of those demons as she tries to decide whether to compete again in Tokyo. But it was always equally unfair to expect her to vault lightly past the Nassar case and back on to the medal podium.” – “[Simone Biles was abandoned by American Olympic officials, and the torment hasn’t stopped]( The Washington Post. “[S]ome hospitals swamped with patients in largely conservative, unvaccinated swaths of the country have begun to recruit Covid survivors as public health messengers of last resort. The hope is that onetime skeptics might just persuade others who dismissed vaccination campaigns led by President Biden, Dr. Anthony Fauci and armies of local doctors and health workers. Theirs are Scared Straight stories for a pandemic that has thrived on misinformation, fear and hardened partisan divisions over whether or not to get vaccinated.” – “[They Spurned the Vaccine. Now They Want You to Know They Regret It.]( The New York Times. "To an extent that many people still don’t recognize, Fox News is a grinding, daily cesspool of white grievance, mistrust of deep-state government, and a belief that liberals are literally trying to destroy the country out of sheer malice. Facebook and other social media outlets might have made this worse over the past few years — partly by acting as a sort of early warning system for new outrages bubbling up from the grassroots that Fox anchors can draw from — but Fox News remains the wellspring." – "[The Real Source of America’s Rising Rage]( Mother Jones. “ It is hard for me to articulate what it's like for me to witness another Black woman caring for herself in this way. — Theresa Okokon, "[Simone Biles Can Fly, But She's So Much More Than Her Wings]( ICYMI The U.S. Women's Soccer Team Is All Of Us. Come On, Ladies, 'LFG' The U.S. Women's fight for pay equity is the latest battle in a never-ending war to prove that women are good enough, writes Cloe Axelson.       If you’d like to write for Cognoscenti, send your submission, pasted into your email and not as an attachment, to opinion@wbur.org. Please tell us in one line what the piece is about, and please tell us in one line who you are. 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📨 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news [WBUR]( [WBUR]  [WBUR]( [95289b97-66e8-43d4-a174-3bc3520a79a9.png]( [Instagram](  [Twitter]( [Facebook]( Want to change how you receive these emails? [Stop getting this newsletter by updating your preferences.]( I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. [Unsubscribe from all newsletters.]( Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? 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