By Tim Akano
One Africa Initiatives (OAI), a
leading not-for-profit organisation that focuses on the development of the
African continent and the sixth region, including its people globally,
expresses deep shock at the recent torrents of racist comments that followed the
loss of England to Italy at the Euro 2020 final. This despicable act is yet
another indication that consistent racial onslaught against Africans and people
of African descent, is still very much a problem despite years of massive
campaign against it.
OAI notes the efforts made in
recent years to eradicate racism from football and other sports. These include
the “Taking the Knee” campaign which ironically has been led by footballers in
the English game. However, it is quite clear that players of African descent
continue to face racial attacks from fans in the stadia and on the social
media. They contend with issues such as lack of equal opportunities, lack of
empathy from referees and administrators among many others. In many instances,
they are discriminated against by teammates. Even football commentators and
analysts who should ordinarily help to bring this unsavoury practice to an end
have a tendency to downplay the achievements of Africans and people of African
descent in football and other sports.
Certain sections of the media in
Europe have not helped the situation. For instance, it is common for the same
action by different players to be given different slants to the detriment of
players of African descent. A good example was when Marcos Rashford, who is of
African descent and one of the victims of the recent racist abuse in England,
bought a house. A section of the British media described his action as
extravagant and him as a cash-rich and cash-loose boy. Conversely, a similar
action by Phil Foden, a Caucasian, made him being commended for “looking after
his family". Here, a similar action by two players got different
interpretations by the media based on their racial difference.
The genesis of racism dates back
to the 1800s when "Social Darwinism” Theory was propounded. This theory
held that the Caucasian race was the most evolved in terms of intellect,
character and moral compass while the African race was "hyperphysical,
uncontrollably strong and cognitively challenged". This theory eventually formed
the basis of the Apartheid system of government that was practised in Africa.
It was also the basis of the Jim Crow Laws that were passed in America and used
to subjugate the people of African extraction and deny them political, economic
and social rights despite the end of slavery.
But over the years, Africans and
people of African descent have shown that there is no single truth in the
Social Darwinism or Social Science Race Theory. Africans built the United
States of America, the strongest country in the world. Africa's resources were
used to build Europe. Over the past century, Africans have set intimidating
records in various fields of life, including sports, the academia and
governance. For instance, footballers with African roots represent over 70 per
cent of the French Team members that won the 2018 World Cup. So Africans are
not inferior to any race anywhere in the world. Given the same opportunity in
the same environment, Africans will deliver as much, if not better, than any
other.
One Africa Initiatives (OAI)
therefore stands by Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Raheem Sterling
and other players of African extraction in the English Team. Indeed, these
young players deserve massive commendation instead of the toxic condemnation heaped
on them by the English fans.
OAI wishes to assure the
19-year-old Saka and his African team-mates that the 1.5 billion Africans
worldwide are proud of their great exploits of assisting England to reach the
2020 European Championship finals for the first time in over 50 years.
We strongly believe that the
future belongs to them. Therefore, they should not allow the barbaric insults
of the English football fans to affect their mentality and performance when the
new season begins.
It is noteworthy that all the
big names in the world football history, beginning from Pele to Maradona, and
from Maradona to Messi and Ronaldo, had equally experienced disappointing
moments of missing penalty kicks in their respective careers before the Euro
2020 final unintentional slips by these great young footballers of African
descent.
We therefore implore these young
African football stars to permanently erase the negative memories of that event
from their minds and face the future with greater optimism and ambition to win many
great laurels and become global football superstars.
There is therefore no basis for
discriminating against Africans or considering them inferior. Against this
background, therefore, OAI wants to make the following recommendations:
•There is urgent need for the
United Nations (UN) to pass a Resolution that criminalises racism and empower
the International Court of Justice to adjudicate on it. The UN should take a
cue from how anti-Semitism was reduced to the barest minimum by simply
characterising it as a criminal offence. Racism against Africans and people of
African descent must be treated the same.
•Those who discriminate against
Africans and people of African descent should be tagged “Anti-Africans” and
companies that allow their platforms to be used as conveyor belts of such
should face regulatory sanctions as well as the boycott of their goods and
services.
•Governments and Sports
Administrators across the world must double their efforts in combating the
rising wave of racism in sports and sports-related activities. To do this, laws
and policies should be reviewed and/or amended to engender equality and
inclusion. In the same vein, sanctions (including jail terms) must be increased
in order to serve as a deterrent.
•The Social Media Big5 (Facebook,
Twitter, Instagram, Tit-Tok and WhatsApp) should put in place a set of new
technological devices using artificial intelligence that can identify racist
abuse in real time, block the senders of offensive messages before such
messages go global, and bring the culprits to the attention of law enforcement
agencies for appropriate action.
Africans worldwide will no
longer tolerate racists hiding under the veil of freedom of speech to insult
the race. Freedom of speech does not include freedom to abuse and insult
Africans. Therefore, an insult or injustice meted to one African will
henceforth be viewed as an insult and injustice to the 1.5 billion Africans
worldwide and attract appropriate responses from Africans themselves.
•OAI calls on Africans and
people of African descent interested in the media business to come together to
build a strong African media empire that will project Africans across the world
in the way we want the world to see us. This becomes necessary as the owners of
media play a crucial role in deciding the editorial direction and contents.
Africa needs a media platform that will permanently focus the attention of the
world on the problem of racism.
•The time has come for Africa's
Sport entrepreneurs to join hands with OAI and African Union in organising a
World African Athletics Festival (WAAF) to be contested exclusively by athletes
from Africa and of African descent (including Jamaica, Haiti, Brazil, the US,
Trinidad & Tobago, Colombia and others). This will be managed by an
independent body to be tagged “World African Athletics Administration (WAAA)”.
There are more than 1.5 billion Africans and people of African descent and the
majority of them are sports lovers. A sports festival that brings them all
together will be the beginning of re-awakening the "One Africa"
consciousness being championed by OAI. It is also a way of tapping into this
rich pool of talent that can be projected to the world. The commercial,
cultural and diplomatic benefits that will accrue from this will further
project the greatness of Africans and help to reduce the wrong notion of
inferiority created about African people.
•African conglomerates need to
do more in engaging and participating in sports development. Sport is a proven
instrument for wholesale development of the mind and body, and its cultural
diplomacy impact is endless. It is also a veritable tool of reducing crimes,
wars and youth unemployment. African conglomerates should come together to set
up a Fund to be named “Africa Sports Development Fund (ASDF)” that can be used
for sport development across the continent. The success of this will help to
quell the constant loss of quality African sportsmen and women to Europe and
the Americas where they are given less-than-equal treatment.
Ultimately, the world will not
be allowed to rest until Africans and people of African descent are treated
equally and not subjected to abuse on account of their race. OAI is committed
to holding governments, the media and people to account going forward on this
important subject.
Tim Akano is the Chief Executive
Officer, One Africa Initiatives (OAI).
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