Why one LA run club leader chose community over the Paris Olympics

A guest editorial from Zaakiyah Brisker of South Central Run Club in Los Angeles about why she turned down the opportunity to be flown to Paris for the Olympic Games.

Aug 12, 2024

Amazing people. That’s what I have always aimed to highlight with Running Sucks. South Central Run Club founder, Zaakiyah Brisker is one of them. I profiled Zaakiyah in my first post of 2024 - The run club fighting White Supremacy. This post is a slight departure from regular programming, but in line with that central tenet.

As runners, it’s expected that we’ve had our attention engulfed by the 2024 Olympic Games for the past few weeks. As humans, however, it’s also normal that we think about the politics that surround events of such magnitude. For all the bombast and glory, the Olympic Games brings problems with it wherever it goes.

For instance, NOlympics LA says, ”the Olympics always accelerate policing, evictions, inequality, exploitation, and the erosion of democracy in every host city. The LA 2028 games are no different.”

This op-ed from Zaakiyah explains her decision to turn down a free trip to Paris in favor staying with her community as her neighborhood suffers gentrification and displacement in the build-up to the Los Angeles in 2028.

Please enjoy this unedited missive:

Running Home: Why I chose community over the Paris Olympics

Every Thursday at dusk, the South Central Run Club gathers for a run through the bustling streets of South Central Los Angeles. Runners from diverse backgrounds, fitness levels, genders, and ages pound their feet on the pavement to synchronize not just movement and breath, but also to connect, vent, and find solace. As the leader, I know these sessions are crucial; they provide a haven for meditation, venting, and emotional regulation in an often overlooked community.

The 2028 Olympics threaten to disrupt our community and displace the very spaces we cherish. As the City of Los Angeles braces for these changes, every major run club in Los Angeles, including ours, received an invitation to the Paris Olympics, presented as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. My peers are excited at the chance to represent our city on the world stage, alongside celebrities and elite athletes. I, on the other hand, decided to decline. With my run club, I run through our neighborhoods, dominated by towering new developments and littered with vacant homes and abandoned commercial properties. We run past houseless people sleeping on broken-up sidewalks. We run under the surveillance of LAPD. Although the opportunity to showcase my ‘hood on such an iconic stage in Paris is appealing, I believe my role here—supporting and nurturing my community—is where I can make the most meaningful impact.

Some proponents of the 2028 Olympics argue that the event will bring economic benefits to the city. However, a CNN article showed that host cities often suffer a net loss due to the extensive investments required for planning and infrastructure for a mere two-week event. Thus, while the invitation from LA28 may seem like an honor, it is, in reality, a strategic maneuver by LA28 and the International Olympic Committee to manufacture and legitimize community consent for the Olympics. These Games frequently drive increased gentrification and displacement in historically underserved communities. Accepting the invitation would create a deceptive appearance of local support for global events that, in truth, worsen the challenges faced by our neighborhoods.

Los Angeles is already facing severe cuts to essential social services, diminishing residents' quality of life. As of 2021, 63% of Angelenos are renters, many of whom are burdened by high housing costs. Cindy, a South Central Run Club member, noted, “Folks lose homes just to become an outsider’s Airbnb.” These cuts are worsened by leaders like Governor Gavin Newsom, whose aggressive sweeps of homeless encampments criminalize the vulnerable, and Mayor Karen Bass, who redirects critical funds to an already bloated police budget. The tragic case of Sonya Massey, a life lost to excessive police action, starkly illustrates the dangers of prioritizing increased policing, often justified by major events like the Olympics, over community welfare and vital local and global issues.

Recognizing the financial burden the Olympics place on taxpayers, with funds diverted from essential services for a temporary spectacle, I advocate for reallocating these resources. I envision a future where funds meant for the Olympics are used to enhance local infrastructure, support small businesses, and expand public services, fostering a healthier and more vibrant community. These practical solutions would alleviate the economic strain on residents and empower them to thrive. Local events like Keep It Run Hundred’s Juneteenth 5K, Blacklist LA's Happy Birthday LA 5K, and our own Ghetto Running Day already show how grassroots initiatives can meet the community's needs for wellness, entertainment, and spectatorship while building strong communal bonds.

Each step a South Central runner takes is a protest against the forces reshaping our community. This act of running is actually a way of preserving our neighborhoods, supporting our homegrown institutions, and fighting for policies that prioritize people over profits. As we run past our neighbors who curiously watch us run by, we invite them to join a movement committed to real substantive change, strengthening our resolve to uplift our community wellness. "We’re South Central Run Club! Come run with us!" is not just an invitation but a call to action to reclaim our health and our hood.

If the Los Angeles run scene has taught me anything, it’s that run clubs are powerful agents of sustainable change. We’ve shown that local initiatives, not international spectacles, provide the most significant benefits. As we look to the future, I urge my fellow Angelenos and global community leaders to resist the allure of grand events and instead invest in sustainable local development. It is here, not on the streets of Paris, where our most significant victories are achieved.

Have you ever thought about the economic ramifications of hosting an Olympic Games?
Do you have any first-hand experience of living in a city after a Games?
What are the achievable solutions that we can ask for?

The run club fighting White Supremacy

Raziq Rauf

January 4, 2024

Read the Running Sucks profile of South Central Run Club. SCRC is stepping up to remedy the food and fitness apartheid thrust upon their Los Angeles neighborhood by the US government.

Read full story