Black History

Dominique Dawes: The Golden Journey of a Gymnastics Pioneer

Dawes’s impact on gymnastics extends beyond her Olympic achievements. After the 1996 Games, she continued to compete and inspire. She participated in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, further cementing her legacy as one of the sport’s greats.

Published

10 months ago

August 17, 2024

Tamara Shloh

Dominique Dawes. File photo.

By Tamara Shiloh

Dominique Dawes was born on Nov. 20, 1976, in Silver Spring, Maryland.

She was six years old when she discovered she loved gymnastics. Her parents, Don and Loretta Dawes, recognized her natural talent and enrolled her in gymnastics classes. Under the guidance of coach Kelli Hill, Dawes’s skills quickly improved.

Dawes’s dedication and hard work paid off as she began to make a name for herself in national competitions. At just 10 years old, she competed in her first junior national championships. She placed 17th in the all-around junior division at her first U.S. National Championships in 1988. In 1989, she competed in her first international meet, the Konica Grand Prix in Australia. By the early 1990s, she was achieving success both nationally and internationally. Dawes placed 3rd in the all-around in the junior division at the 1990 U.S. National Championships.

At the 1992 USA vs. Japan dual meet, Dawes, then 15 years old, received a standing ovation after a resounding floor routine in which she revived the back-to-back tumbling revolutionized by Soviet star Oksana Omelianchik. The judges were equally impressed and gave her a perfect 10. And even though she was not part of the 1991 World Championship team, she continued to move up on the national and international scene throughout 1991 and 1992.

Dawes’s career reached new heights when she competed in her first Olympics at the 1992 Barcelona Games. Although she was just 15 years old, Dawes performed with the confidence and skill of a seasoned gymnast. She played a crucial role in helping the U.S. team secure a bronze medal.

However, it was the 1996 Atlanta Olympics that solidified her place in history. As a member of the “Magnificent Seven,” the first U.S. women’s gymnastics team to win gold in the team competition, Dawes’s contributions were critical. Her performance during the floor exercise earned her widespread praise and a place in the hearts of gymnastics enthusiasts around the world.

In 2010, Dawes was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame, a fitting recognition of her contributions to the sport. She has also been involved in various initiatives to promote physical fitness and healthy living among young people.

Today, Dawes is also the owner of the Dominique Dawes Gymnastics & Ninja Academies in her home state of Maryland.

Tamara Shloh

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Oakland Post: Week of June 4 – 10, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of June 4-10, 2025

Published

3 days ago

June 7, 2025

Oakland Post

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Remembering George Floyd

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Minnesota State Attorney General Keith Ellison acknowledges that the Floyd case five years ago involved a situation in which due process was denied, and five years later, the president is currently dismissing “due process. “The Minnesota Atty General also says, “Trump is trying to attack constitutional rule, attacking congressional authority and judicial decision-making.” George Floyd was an African American man killed by police who knocked on his neck and on his back, preventing him from breathing.

Published

1 week ago

June 2, 2025

Oakland Post

Mural showing the portrait of George Floyd in Mauerpark in Berlin. To the left of the portrait the lettering "I can't Breathe" was added, on the right side the three hashtags #GeorgeFloyd, #Icantbreathe and #Sayhisname. The mural was completed by Eme Street Art (facebook name) / Eme Free Thinker (signature) on 29 May 2020. (Wikimedia Commons)

By April Ryan
BlackPressUSA Newswire

“The president’s been very clear he has no intentions of pardoning Derek Chauvin, and it’s not a request that we’re looking at,” confirms a senior staffer at the Trump White House. That White House response results from public hope, including from a close Trump ally, Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. The timing of Greene’s hopes coincides with the Justice Department’s recent decision to end oversight of local police accused of abuse. It also falls on the fifth anniversary of the police-involved death of George Floyd on May 25th. The death sparked national and worldwide outrage and became a transitional moment politically and culturally, although the outcry for laws on police accountability failed.

The death forced then-Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden to focus on deadly police force and accountability. His efforts while president to pass the George Floyd Justice in policing act failed. The death of George Floyd also put a spotlight on the Black community, forcing then-candidate Biden to choose a Black woman running mate. Kamala Harris ultimately became vice president of the United States alongside Joe Biden. Minnesota State Attorney General Keith Ellison prosecuted the cases against the officers involved in the death of Floyd. He remembers,” Trump was in office when George Floyd was killed, and I would blame Trump for creating a negative environment for police-community relations. Remember, it was him who said when the looting starts, the shooting starts, it was him who got rid of all the consent decrees that were in place by the Obama administration.”

In 2025, Police-involved civilian deaths are up by “about 100 to about 11 hundred,” according to Ellison. Ellison acknowledges that the Floyd case five years ago involved a situation in which due process was denied, and five years later, the president is currently dismissing “due process. “The Minnesota Atty General also says, “Trump is trying to attack constitutional rule, attacking congressional authority and judicial decision-making.” George Floyd was an African-American man killed by police who knocked on his neck and on his back, preventing him from breathing. During those minutes on the ground, Floyd cried out for his late mother several times. Police subdued Floyd for an alleged counterfeit $20 bill.