Kyrstin Johnson, a gymnast at Temple University opened her performance with a statement as she incorporated Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” into her floor routine. Her teammates cheered her on and danced along from the sidelines.

Unsurprisingly, the gymnast received praise on social media for her routine.

“I almost shed a tear at the whole team doing the clapping and crown with you. Amazing,” one person wrote in the comment section of Johnson’s TikTok video.

“I love how much gymnastics has changed over the years. The progression from classical to modern music and everything between. Amazing to see,” someone else commented.

This school year marks Johnson’s first year at Temple University. She transferred after Talladega College shut down its gymnastics program in July 2024 due to a lack of funding, according to AL.com. The program was the second of its kind at an HBCU. Fisk University was the first historically Black university to offer gymnastics as part of its collegiate sports program.

Johnson was the first recruit for the new team at Talladega College. In her freshman year, she became a four-time First Team All-American and the 2023 USAG National Vault Champion, according to HBCU Gameday.

Johnson noted the significance of joining an HBCU at the time, telling AL.com that she could “connect with everybody. I could relate to everyone. It was no questions asked. My culture was just there.”

 

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Before becoming a biology student at Temple University, Johnson enrolled at Talladega on a four-year scholarship. 

“We went out there, showed up and showed out. We had fun,” Johnson said about the memories she shares with her former team. “And we showed everyone what Talladega college Gymnastics was about. Even though it got cut after a year, I think we all wouldn’t change a thing.”

gymnastKendrick lamarKyrstin JohnsonNot Like Us