The COVID-19 pandemic as well as the tragic death of George Floyd has challenged the way we both operate and function as a global society.
Sporting corporations have not been immune to these societal challenges as competitions were forced into shutdown and have only recently begun to return.
The issue of suppression and race has been acknowledged by sport. The NFL’s decision to reverse its stance on players kneeling during the American national anthem reiterated the important platform sport is able to utilise.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell admitted the league was wrong “for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest,” after the NFL blacklisted Colin Kaepernick for kneeling during a pre-season game in 2016.
The resumption of the Premier League over the weekend has seen teams featuring Black Lives Matter and NHS logos on jerseys, while players in the NBA lead by Kyrie Irving have questioned whether they should return to the court as games could take away from the issues related to social justice.
The platitudes, though, must be followed up with real change as the issue of racism especially is one that has raised its ugly head continually through history.
Sporting bodies must recognise the important platform they hold and the social responsibility that this entails.
Adelaide United director of football Bruce Djite reiterated this point with a powerful statement on the ABC’s Q&A last week.
“I tell you now, if there was an Indigenous person on the AFL commission or as AFL CEO during the time when Adam Goodes was getting racially vilified, it would have had a different reaction,” he said. “The guy might still be actively involved in the sport.”
(Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Djite emphasised the fact that organisations must now be judged on the actions they take rather than just the words that are spoken.
Former AFL great and media personality Sam Newman’s latest outburst – where he called George Floyd a “piece of s***” and said that AFL players should not be kneeling before games as it is a movement that originated in America and has no relevance in Australia – highlights the work that still needs to be done when it comes to our own national fabric.
Newman’s comments sparked a wave of criticism with Channel Nine and Newman mutually departing company just days after he returned to the Sunday Footy Show.
Heritier Lumumba – the former Collingwood star who has been vocal in the fight for racial equality wherein he claimed he was subject to racist jokes in his ten-year career with Collingwood – came out strongly against Newman.
“Sam Newman is doing exactly what he has always done,” Lumumba said. “He is consistent with his bigotry, unwavering with his prejudice, and unapologetic with his tone deafness.”
Newman’s lack of acknowledgment that the movement in America has relevance here in Australia demonstrates Newman’s and many Australians’ distinct lack of understanding and empathy with our First Nations people.
The ability for sport to enable real change was recently demonstrated through the actions of Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford, who forced UK prime minister Boris Johnson into an embarrassing u-turn on his decision not to provide Britain’s poorest children with free school meals over the summer.
(Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images)
Sport’s and society’s heartbeat are intrinsically linked, with one not truly existing without the other.
Andrew Abdo – the acting CEO of the NRL – believes for sport to attract new fans it must deliver a product that connects on a deeper level.
“I think if sports want to win new fans and want to connect with society, I think that people want to belong to something that they believe in,” he told Q&A. “I honestly think that younger people won’t tolerate anything less.”
Sport is woven within the Australian psyche and as Brendon Gale – the CEO of the Richmond Football Club acknowledged – it has an important role to play when it comes to dismantling racism within this country.
“Sport in this country is a very powerful social and cultural institution that has enormous traction in society,” he said. “It gives an opportunity to shine a light on these issues.”
This time in history has given sport yet another opportunity to play a leading role in creating societal change.
This change, though, will not come without resistance as has been seen through the far-right political movements, which have continued to rise globally.
Sport must continue to stand up and condemn racist and divisive behaviour as was on display during the Manchester City versus Burnley game wherein a banner flew above the ground, which read: ‘White lives matter Burnley.’
NASCAR have also had to leap to the support of its only African-American driver Bubba Wallace after a noose was found in his garage stall at the Talladega International Speedway. Wallace’s fellow drives took it upon themselves prior to Monday’s race to push his car down pit road and then stood behind him for the national anthem.
Wallace was overcome with emotion and took to Twitter to deliver a message to the NASCAR organisation.
“This is the kind of unified message that is as powerful as it is overdue,” he said. “For too long, this sport trafficked on the fringes of society, not stepping up and not speaking out as racism and racists found a home.”
Sport now must act on its vocal support and invest in a long-term vision rather than short-term platitudes to truly bring lasting and meaningful change to a world that has found itself built on division.
Kafka
Guest
Angela - apologies for my lack of clarity. It may have been helpful if you could have unpacked what was ‘gobbledygook’ in my response rather than an off- handed dismissal. I am actually interested in the conversation & your insights. I like you, do not agree with censorship but let’s get over the caveat of ‘political correctness’. Social media platforms are not places of absolute freedom of speech. Such processes require more transparency of identity not faceless comments like ours . Without respectful protocols this platform just falls into the potential trolling of the ‘other’ from unfettered expedient cowardly trolling. Sadly, this is the downside of something as democratic as the internet... because absolute freedom played out in this way is also potentially oppressive & advances nothing. I am curious to understand what you understand racism to entail. I have a simple definition in my earlier response to this article. Keep talking & thinking, but also take time to listen deeply advancing a better world not bigotry under the cover of free speech. That is a cautionary comment to both of us and not an assumption about your unpublished comment. All the best K.
Angela
Roar Rookie
'Angela , who really can’t advance the discussion and allow for thoughtful responses – that’s what a conversation entails between voices seeking an elusive truth.Fundamentalism maybe closer a description of what you are hiding behind – if your opinion is all that matters then you leave no room for in – sight. K' Oh dear Kafka, gobbeldy -gook. I was complaining because my erudite, totally non-racist comment, which would have opened up a discussion on whether Australia is a 'racist' country (compared to what?) v there being a small number of unsavoury people living here who would probably be characterised as racist, was not published. I assume, either because of political correctness, which is a form of curtailing freedom of speech, or because there's some automatic techie thingo which cancels any comment that has the word racist in it more than once. In which case, this comment probably won't get a guernsey either
Kafka
Guest
Interesting comment but I wonder what is stopping Angela & co from advancing their insights she/ he obviously feel are missing? Is it a fear that they will not stand up to intelligent scrutiny. It I s an easy slippery statement to mask your fear with the criticism of ‘political correctness’ somehow profiting your voices. Political correctness is the true fake news. Say what you need to say but because you seek feedback and are interested in a more inclusive, humane world where the ‘other’ might bring you more than you contain. Like Wesley Enoch notes, often it is the inability to deal with intelligent deconstruction hiding behind a kind of fragility around ‘Well , this is my opinion and no one can actually talk against it” that blonds is to our own bigotry. Angela , who really can’t advance the discussion and allow for thoughtful responses - that’s what a conversation entails between voices seeking an elusive truth.Fundamentalism maybe closer a description of what you are hiding behind - if your opinion is all that matters then you leave no room for in - sight. K
Micko
Roar Rookie
Like most social media these days!
Angela
Roar Rookie
This forum is following 'politically correct' guidelines and refusing to publish any comments that want to take the discussion beyond the very platitudes the article is complaining about.
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
What Bruce Djite alluded to is that governance structures need to be reflective of society if they are able to adequately respond to changing social nuances. Those sports that are better able to adapt will be more responsive to their participants and the community which will enable them to retain both community and commercial support. As such, sports need to change the composition of their governance structures so that society's voice is heard, even if that voice at times raises uncomfortable questions. It is that or wither.
Kafka
Guest
Telling, timely & confronting article that has the potential, as displayed by some of the comments, to expose the full force of 'white fagility' and its alibis in the face of its inhumanity towards its own race. Racism is a structure not an event. Racism, like sexism and other forms of oppression, occurs when a racial group’s prejudice is backed by legal authority and institutional control. Racism is something that is deeply embedded in the fabric of a society and is evident by some of the responding voices on this platform. As Craig Foster and many others have stated, it has no place in any aspect of sport, let alone in our society. Let's not hide behind trivialities. Time for truth telling and the calling out of such behaviour. Game over for hearts and minds that feel that sport somehow is above social issues. As the Nobel Prize winner Ben Okri noted ,"A people are as healthy and confident as the stories they tell themselves. Sick storytellers can make nations sick." We may know what we are as Australians but not who we are as long as racism runs deep in psyche and our institutions powered by self-interest and ignorance. K
Jonboy
Roar Rookie
Social media has brought down some great players, Travis Cloke was one of many. Why do players put themselves out there ? Maybe I am old school but I don’t understand.
Jonboy
Roar Rookie
It is disgusting, but you provided the answer.Social media not only targets these people. Like Twitter it is not real there nutters at best. If you expose yourself to this crap you will be bullied.
Cracka
Roar Rookie
Here is more..... Neville Jetta and Liam Ryan are among the latest players to receive vile messages on social media You know if the AFL players really wanted to support their brothers, then they should all ban 'social media' personally I don't use it, as its a tool for bullies so I don't want to encourage it (in saying that I guess this is a form of social media), but, back to my point of view, if all players banned it then we wouldn't have a platform for these comments.
Sebastian
Roar Guru
Take a look at the picture which has been released that is a noose no argument
Jonboy
Roar Rookie
Rubbish comment, of course there is racism in Australia and sadly it will mover go away but saying Australian in general is racist country is simply not true. We have come a long way from the sixties and seventies maybe you weren’t around then I don’t know. Young White Kids marching and a abusing police is sad and they are truly uneducated about the aboriginal culture. Police have protected and saved thousands of lives in aboriginal towns and communities.
Jonboy
Roar Rookie
Unfortunately the majority of the loudest are from the city who have no idea about Racism. I spent 50 years living with real aborigines and respect them and made heaps of friendships.The majority of the ones you see at the protest marches are as Jacinta Price says are not real and don’t want to address the real issues aborigines face. A bit like the uneducated white kids marching screaming F....the police. Once again city nutters who are trouble makers nothing to do with BLM.
Mark.
Roar Rookie
30,000 Newscorp subscribers by any chance?
The Late News
Roar Rookie
Thanks mate. I have been to the US a couple of times so I have an idea. I live in country WA so yep I get that too.
Chancho
Roar Rookie
If you have the possibility to watch 13th on Netflix, I'd highly recommend it. It gives a good insight on why the statement 'black lives matter' means ALL lives matter. . Perhaps I'm a bit too naïve to think that we should all get along and accept everyone for who they are, but when you see the situation as being so systematic, you accept that fundamental change is needed.
The Late News
Roar Rookie
Obviously not.
Mark
Roar Rookie
imported BLM crap So Black Lives don't Matter to you Jonboy? If that's the case, and it's pretty obvious from posts you've made in other threads, that you're nothing but a big got yourself. Oh, regarding the 68%....no surprises there, Australia is generally a racist Country.
Mark
Roar Rookie
You don't understand the "Colour thing"! :unhappy:
The Late News
Roar Rookie
As much as I understand the colour thing this would have a less divisive thrust if it was "All Lives Matter". And be more constructive too.