The High Five: An Unexpected Origin Story with a Touch of Pride
<div style=' background:#FFFFFF;color:#000000;font-family:Verdana;width:auto;padding:5px;max-height:100%;'><span><p>The high five is one gesture that is as ingrained in our social interactions as laughter or a handshake. But its origin story is far more unexpected than you might think. It involves baseball, a history-making home run, and an openly gay athlete named Glenn Burke.</p><p>The high five's birth can be traced back to a seemingly ordinary 1977 Dodgers game. Dusty Baker crushes a homer, and his teammate Glenn Burke, overcome with excitement, raises his hand high for a... well, nobody's quite sure what. Baker, caught off guard, meets Burke's hand in a midair collision – the first documented high five.</p><p>This seemingly trivial act exploded. Media picked it up, fans cheered, and the high five became a symbol of Dodger pride. But Burke's story takes a sharp turn. Burke, in a professional sports landscape where open displays of homosexuality were rare, was one of the first openly gay athletes. While his talent was undeniable, his sexuality undoubtedly played a role in his trade away from the Dodgers shortly after the now-iconic high five. Undeterred, Burke found solace and acceptance in the vibrant gay community of San Francisco's Castro district. Here, the high five transcended its celebratory roots. It became a "defiant symbol of gay pride," a way for members of a marginalized community to connect and celebrate each other in a world that often excluded them.</p><p>Burke's professional baseball career, unfortunately, was cut short. However, his legacy as the high five's unlikely champion lives on in every exuberant hand connection we share today. The high five serves as a reminder that even the most casual gestures can carry powerful messages of inclusion and defiance. </p><p>Every high five today echoes a moment of pure joy, but also a quieter act of defiance and a remainder also that most unexpected heroes come from the margins.</p><span></div>
