This is a video clip from the 2012 Summer Olympics after Serena Williams won a Gold medal in singles tennis. After Serena wins she celebrates by doing a brief version of the Crip Walk.
The Crip Walk is a dance that originated from the Los Angeles based gang the Crips. Originally the dance was used as a method of intimidation, and a way to "bang" on other rival gang members, or non gang members that crossed paths with members of the Crips. The modern day Crip walk has become more of a dance than an aesthetic form of gang banging, but it still has ties to the Crips and the gangbanging lifestyle. I chose to post this clip because Serena Williams was in the national spotlight when she did this dance, and because it is interesting to think about an athlete that is known around the world doing a dance that is directly tied to the gang life.
Questions:
*What do you think about Serena Williams doing the crip walk?
*What impact does the crip walk have on the formation of her black identity?
*Is this a controversial celebration, or an appropriate one?
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