Kerry Washington honors Olympian Debi Thomas in sweet Instagram post

In honor of Black history month, actress Kerry Washington is once again celebrating #BlackHERstory, and recreating iconic portraits of trailblazing women. First up this year was Olympian Debi Thomas.

“So once again this year I am celebrating the joy, triumph, love and resilience of some amazing Black women who’ve come before me and share about how they inspire me,” said Washington in the post. “Debi Thomas...the FIRST African American to win a medal in a Winter Olympics.”

Washington went on to recount the moment she, as a little girl, watched Thomas at the Olympics. Thomas’s career included winning the World Championship in 1986, taking bronze at the 1988 Winter Olympics and twice claiming the U.S. national championship.

Last year, Washington honored actress and trailblazer Pam Grier, activist Rosa Parks, track star Wilma Rudolph, and model, singer and activist Beverly Johnson.

“Black History is about more than just slavery and Jim Crow. Our history is a tapestry of beauty, culture, power, community, resilience, & strength,” Washington explained in a previous post. “Through it all - the pain and the joy - Black women have held it down!”