“How will Sport respond after Black History Month 2020?” On both sides of the Atlantic, Sport stepped up to vocalise the Black Lives Matter message. Now we wait to discover who was really listening In years to come, how will we look back upon the UK’s Black History Month in 2020? Will the year itself be seen as era-defining, one that saw real change politically and socially? Or will it be seen as ‘a moment’ when hopes were raised, only for the status quo to continue, an opportunity missed? Never before has Black History Month, observed here in October, arrived at a time when the issue of Race has been so prominent in the national discourse. In the US, the Police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May sparked worldwide protests and a debate, not just on police brutality, but also the systems and structures which lead to racial inequality in society. These discussions have taken place in politics, the workplace, in popular culture, and perhaps most prominently, in the world of Sport. As the video went viral of Floyd pleading for his life - a police officer’s knee pressing on his neck - the world of sport led the way in expressing collective outrage. From Lewis Hamilton’s raised fist on the podium at the Styrian Grand Prix to Premier League footballers taking a knee, some of the most powerful and emotional images were made in the sports arena - and some of the most impassioned pleas too. “All we want is for Black Lives to Matter now. It’s as simple as that.” When Sky Sports commentator and former West Indies fast bowler Michael Holding spoke these words ahead of the first Test match of the summer in Southampton, he summed up the very basic request being made across the globe. But even as he and England’s first Black female cricketer Ebony Rainford-Brent told of their experiences of racism in a video viewed by millions on social media, there were responses that showed just why it was necessary to vocalise something that seems so obvious. Twitter was awash with questions from viewers wondering why they were being preached to. One memorable tweet summed it up: “Is this a sports channel or a political channel?”
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BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2020
In a move instigated by a disapproving Burnley fan, a plane with a banner reading ‘All Lives Matter’ was flown over the Etihad Stadium when Burnley played at Manchester City during Project Restart. A reminder of why we kneel, why we protest, why we need to keep saying ‘Black Lives Matter’. But in the main, the response in the sporting industry was positive. In the USA, the National Football League (NFL), previously so opposed to San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s initial protests against injustice back in 2016, now admitted it had got it wrong and vowed to do better, including pledging $250 million over 10 years to causes combating systemic racism. In Basketball, both the men’s and women’s game were at the forefront; the sport’s biggest star LeBron James one of the most prominent voices demanding action. Major League Soccer staged a powerful, united demonstration, a mix of players taking the knee and raising the gloved fist in a throwback to Tommie Smith and John Carlos’s iconic protest at the 1968 Olympics. Over here in the Premier League, not only did the players kneel, they did so with the public backing of their teams and their governing body, with ‘Black Lives Matter’ on their shirts. Rugby Union launched its first-ever dedicated anti-racism campaign. And more important than the gestures, welcome as they are, a whole host of voices felt empowered to speak out and express themselves - not just as black sportsmen and women, but more simply as Black PEOPLE. England Rugby player Maro Itoje, after attending a Black Lives Matter protest, spoke of his desire to educate people and change perceptions, and called on politicians not to ignore the calls for change. Footballer Raheem Sterling said: “It’s been going on for hundreds of years and people are tired, and people are ready for change”.
ROGER CLARKE SKY SPORTS NEWS REPORTER
