Seba Johnson

Seba Johnson
Seba Johnson
Personal information
National team United States Virgin Islands
Ethnicity African American
Citizenship American
Born (1973-05-01) May 1, 1973[1]
Frederiksted, St. Croix[1]
Residence Los Angeles, California[2]
Alma mater Howard University[3]
Other interests Animal rights, acting, activism, public speaking
Website www.sebajohnson.com
Sport
Country United States Virgin Islands
Sport Alpine skiing
Event(s)
Retired 1992[4]
Updated on 14 August 2016.

Seba Johnson is an African American Olympic athlete, actor, and vegan animal rights activist.[5][4] She was the first black woman to ski at the Olympics, and the youngest alpine ski racer in Olympic history (she competed at age 14).[4]

Early life

Johnson was born in Saint Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Her father was a Tutsi tribesman from Burundi, Africa, and her mother, Suzy, a New Hampshire native, raised Johnson and her half-sister exclusively.[5][4][6][2] Suzy raised Johnson as a vegan from birth, and took her to animal rights protests from a young age.[6]

Johnson spent her childhood traveling with her family to numerous countries, living for a time in New Hampshire and Maine, and later moving to Stateline, Nevada, on the shore of Lake Tahoe.[6][7][8][2] Johnson began skiing at the age of seven.[8] After moving to Nevada, she trained at Heavenly Valley Ski Resort while her mother worked at a casino to support the family.[9]

Athletic career and activism

At age 14, Johnson represented the Virgin Islands in giant slalom and Super-G at the 1988 Winter Olympics, where she became the youngest alpine ski racer and first black female skier in Olympic history. She was also the flag bearer in the opening ceremony.[1][4][10] At age 15, Johnson became the first black ski racer to finish in the top 30 in international competition.[8] She competed again for the Virgin Islands in slalom and giant slalom at the 1992 Winter Olympics.[1] As of 2014, she remains the only black woman to ski competitively at the Olympic Games.[11]

In 1989, Johnson was disqualified from a World Cup ski race for refusing to wear a suit containing wool and leather.[12][5] Johnson qualified for the 1994 Winter Olympics, but chose not to compete in protest of Norway's decision to resume whaling.[5][4][11] She petitioned the IOC to challenge Japan to end whale and dolphin hunting before the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.[11] Johnson has also spoken out against homophobia, criticizing the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia for the "horrid anti-gay law that now exists in that host country".[11]

Education and later pursuits

Johnson retired from athletic competition in 1992 to pursue an education in fine arts at Howard University, and to educate youth about health and animal welfare.[4] The racism she experienced as a black skier played a part in her decision to retire early.[6][3][2] She is a member of the Screen Actors Guild, and has appeared in commercials and television productions.[13] Johnson lives in Los Angeles and works as a special education assistant.[14]

Johnson's skis are on display in the first exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.[15][14]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Seba Johnson". Sports Reference. Retrieved August 14, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Seba Johnson: Vegan Olympic Ski Racer". Viva la Vegan. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
  3. 1 2 Carbone, Gina (January 19, 2009). "Maine skier sees links to Obama". Seacoastonline.com. Retrieved August 14, 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Seba Johnson". Great Vegan Athletes. Retrieved August 14, 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Johnson, Seba (October 2002). "Taking the Lessons My Mother Taught Me to the African-American Community". Satya. Retrieved August 14, 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Elke, Lorena. "Interview with Seba Johnson". The Ghosts in Our Machine. Retrieved August 14, 2016.
  7. ↑ "Virgin Island Skier, 14, On Future Olympic Stage". Jet. March 14, 1988. Retrieved August 14, 2016.
  8. 1 2 3 "Seba Johnson is setting records at the 1989 World". United Press International. February 10, 1989. Retrieved August 14, 2016.
  9. ↑ Gallagher, Noel K. (September 24, 2016). "A former Mainer completes her winding run to the Smithsonian". Portland Press Herald. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
  10. ↑ "1998-1968 Teams". Virgin Islands Olympics Committee. March 8, 1998. Retrieved August 14, 2016.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Jauron, Kezia (February 22, 2014). "Vegan Olympian Seba Johnson Speaks Out Against Sochi". The Thinking Vegan. Retrieved August 14, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Skier Denied World Cup Showing; Racism Charged". Jet. December 1989. Retrieved August 14, 2016.
  13. ↑ "Seba Johnson" (PDF). Screen Actors Guild. Retrieved August 14, 2016.
  14. 1 2 Betancourt, David (September 24, 2016). "The first African American woman to ski in the Olympics is honored". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 25, 2016.
  15. ↑ Early, Brian (September 22, 2016). "Seba Johnson to be featured in African American museum". Seacoastonline.com. Retrieved September 23, 2016.
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