Almost two years ago, on Feb. 11, 2022, Fisk University announced it would be the first Historically Black College or University to implement a women’s gymnastics program. On Jan. 14, 2023, Talladega College in Alabama announced it would start the second HBCU women’s gymnastics program, with the intention of competing during the 2024 season. Now, with just a week left to go before the 2024 season begins, Fisk and Talladega are gearing up to continue their historic runs as the first two HBCU gymnastics programs.
These two programs have both been able to get off the ground quickly and were set to begin competing less than a year after the introduction of the program was announced. For both schools, this was made possible with the help of Brown Girls Do Gymnastics, an organization that has been laying the groundwork for the introduction of gymnastics on HBCU campuses for years.
BGDG is an organization focused on increasing diversity in gymnastics and acrobatics. The organization has been instrumental in promoting participation among young Black gymnasts at all levels of the sport. It was the catalyst behind the implementation of the two HBCU programs, according to Founder Derrin Moore.
Founded in 2015, BGDG has been working behind the scenes to make HBCU gymnastics a…
