she

She did it.  She finally did it!

 

Next Sunday, the 55th running of NASCAR’s signature event takes place.  It’s the Daytona 500 — the first race of the year — and it’s also considered NASCAR’s most prestigious event.  It’s where Richard Petty became a household name, where everyone from Pres. George H.W. Bush to Whoopi Goldberg has been an honorary starter, and where Dale Earnhardt tragically saw his life come to an end.

 

And so next Sunday when the green flag once again waves at “The Great American Race,” it commences with a historic, new aspect.  Starting in the pole position — for the first time ever — will be a woman driver.  This past weekend, Danica Patrick became the race’s fastest qualifier.  She did it.

 

While Daytona typically garners more attention than any other racing event, there will be even more attention now on Patrick because of her historic accomplishment.  As ESPN wrote in the initial hours after her qualification, “The spotlight is nothing new.  But never has it been this bright before.”   The attention is big; the spotlight is brighter.  My question today is what that spotlight should be on…

 

We are a funny people…

 

On one hand, we say the world should be colorblind.  In other words, when we look at others, we shouldn’t define any of them by the color of their skin, their ethnic background, gender, nor any demographic description.

 

But on the other hand, we also enjoy celebrating the unique success of the individual…

 

… the first African-American president…

… the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice…

… the first female astronaut…

… the first (potential) American pope…

 

Let me unambiguously opine:  those accomplishments deserve to be celebrated.

 

The inherent contradiction, however, is that in our celebration, we often employ the exact practice we say we wish to prevent; we often identify color; we often promote ethnic background; we often focus more on the demographic than on the greatness of the actual accomplishment.

 

Danica Patrick is well aware of the historic significance of her success.  But something else is more important to her, as visible via her post-qualifying interview:  “I was brought up to be the fastest driver, not the fastest girl.  That was instilled in me from very young, from the beginning.”

 

She then received the ultimate compliments from her fiercest competitors, as racers Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart, for example, talked about what an excellent racer Patrick is and how she accomplished this in only her 2nd year at the 500.  Interestingly, the focus on her femininity only seemed obvious when prodded by the media.  (… makes one wonder how altruistic and helpful the role of media is in society… hmmm…)

 

So on Sunday, February 24th, beginning at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Danica Patrick will start on the pole.  The Daytona 500.  As their 2013 motto reflects, “The Race of a Lifetime.  Every Time.”

 

She did it, friends.  She finally did it!

 

The world will be a wiser place when the focus is no longer on the “she”… when there truly exists no focus on the race, gender, or demographic category…

 

Respectfully,

AR