First and foremost, from a personal standpoint as a black person, as well as a member of the FA’s Inclusion Advisory Board, it is highly disappointing to find myself in a position where I’m having to discuss this lazy rhetoric that we too often hear repeated and explain why it is so harmful. Racism, sexism, homophobia, or any form of discrimination, regardless of how direct, indirect, maliciously intended or not, can cause a level of trauma to those on the receiving end, and choice of words plays a massive part in that.
What makes this particular situation fairly distressing for me is that Greg Clarke, the FA chairman who resigned on Tuesday after, among other things, using the term “coloured footballers” during a select committee hearing, has been in a position which has directly impacted the effect I am able to have in this area of the game.
I, like many others in this space, am committed to helping the game be exactly what it should be – a safe and comfortable place for any person to enjoy. With that commitment has to come holding ourselves and those around us to the standards needed, to allow such an environment to be created and sustained.
I do not know Clarke personally so I do not know whether or not there was malice or harmful intent behind his words but, regardless, it is still a massive problem that we face. As we have seen throughout recent years he and so many others have found it completely normal to use language that should only ever be deemed unacceptable and inappropriate.
One of the most difficult things for myself and other people who come from demographics that lie in the minority is that in modern society we still often find ourselves placed in a box that not only limits how people see us but can also have the capability of limiting the way in which we see ourselves.
Language plays an enormous role in that, from the tone of voice and gestures you may decide to use, to specific words and phrases with which you may address someone. Each of these has the power to affect a narrative – and where we currently find ourselves in society – and that power is often yielded in a way that pushes people back into the box that gave them their label.
Particularly in a sport as globally renowned and diverse as football you would think that this is not the case but unfortunately this is a road that we so often trudge down. Be it via social media, terraces, newspapers, or when Clarke, who also said “if you go to the IT department at the FA, there’s a lot more South Asians than there are Afro-Caribbeans. They have different career interests.”
In an article published by the Guardian in June this year, a groundbreaking study by RunRepeat shone a light on the significant problem regarding racial bias in English football commentary. The studies showed some alarming data, such as the fact that 63.33% of criticism from commentators in regards to the intelligence of a player is aimed at those with darker skin. There were 1,361 comments about lighter-skinned players and 713 about darker-skinned players, and the study found the former group more widely praised for intelligence (62.60%), hard work (60.40%) and quality (62.79%).
This shows a clear indication that we must and quite frankly have to do better. Our lack of black coaches, females in leadership roles, and even a single openly gay male professional, can be attributed to many things but part of which will come down to the fact that these are people being constantly pigeonholed and told they cannot be anything beyond the tags that they have been given.
In my opinion this should not be seen as an opportunity to solely call out Clarke for his comments, reprimand him for them, and be happy that he has resigned – and then carry on as normal. If that is allowed to be the case then we are going to stay in the same place and continuously revisit this situation time and time again.
This should be seen, as much of 2020 has, as yet another opportunity for us to address something, understand the effects of it and really understand why it needs to change. Only at that point will we then figure out a way that we can do so for the better. Again, it is another wake-up call that shows us where we are really at and how much further we still need to go. I just hope we choose a better path than we have previously.
Marvin Sordell played for Watford, Bolton and Burnley among other clubs in a 10-year professional career and is a member of the FA’s Inclusion Advisory Board
from Football | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2JYiQs3
via IFTTT
No Comment