Racism= Noun
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/racism
1. a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race
2. racial prejudice or discrimination
These past few days I have enjoyed watching professional soccer players show their skills on the pitch. I have enjoyed the screaming and cheering for my team and have not so much enjoyed the losses but it has been fun nonetheless. What I have not enjoyed during the World Cup is the racism that has been incorporated, by both of those whom have said or done racial acts, and by those who have stayed silent about the issue.
Here are some articles to check out:
1. Racism on World Cup casts shadow over soccer's big event:
CBS Evening News: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/world-cup-2014-racism-casts-shadow-over-soccers-big-event/
The World Cup began with a multicultural celebration. But it didn't take long for the ugly side to appear in what fans call "the beautiful game." Two Argentine fans were arrested for taunting a black player as a "little monkey." Mexican fans allegedly screamed gay slurs at opposing goalkeepers.
"It's shocking how much racism exists -- public racism -- especially in European soccer," says sports journalist Grant Wahl.
Wahl points to past incidents that include Nazi banners in the stands and bananas thrown at black players on the field. American Jozy Altidore was the target of insults in Holland.
"We've seen racist chants, and we've seen players walk off the field in response to those racist chants," Wahl says.
Brazilian Danny Alves won praise in April when he nonchalantly took a bite out of a banana thrown at him. A defiant Internet campaign called "We are all monkeys" followed. "Anti-racism days" have also been held across Europe.
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To read more on this article click the link above. Video also included. ...
Amazing & very eye opening! A Must Read Article!
2. Black Identity And Racism Collide In Brazil At World Cup
New Pittsburgh Courier:
http://newpittsburghcourieronline.com/2014/06/20/black-identity-and-racism-collide-in-brazil-at-world-cup/
Before teams representing their countries from around the world arrived in Brazil, the country’s president, Dilma Rousseff, took the opportunity to label 2014 the “anti-racism World Cup.”
The declaration came after a wave of racist incidents in soccer around the world targeting Black players, many of whom are Brazilian. While it’s a well-intentioned gesture and a particularly important one for a World Cup being hosted in the country that’s home to the largest population of people of African descent outside of Africa, Brazil has a complex past and present when it comes to race.
That complexity can perhaps best be illustrated by the fact that many Black Brazilians don’t think of themselves as Black. Brazilian soccer star Neymar is a great example. Asked during an interview in 2010 if he had ever experienced racism, his response was, “Never.” He added, “Not inside nor outside of the soccer field. Even more because I’m not Black, right?”
This denial of Blackness may seem confusing to many Americans, because despite his long, straightened and occasionally blond hair, Neymar is clearly Black. But for Brazilians, being Black is very different from what it is in the United States.
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The goal of this immigration effort was depicted in an 1895 painting by Brazilian artist Modesto Brocos known as “The Redemption of Ham,” which features a Black grandmother, mixed-race mother, White father and White baby. The grandmother stands to the left with her hands raised in prayer, praising God that her grandson is White. This, says Brazilian entrepreneur and activist Carlos Alberto David, is the “final point” of racism in Brazil.
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To read more on this article click the link above.
WorldSoccer Talk:
http://worldsoccertalk.com/2014/05/04/the-we-are-all-monkeys-media-campaign/
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The campaign sprung up last weekend after a banana was thrown onto the Villarreal pitch at Barcelona’s Dani Alves. Alves picked up the banana and ate it. Almost immediately soccer players and personalities around the world took to social media, showing pictures of them eating a banana and using the hashtag #weareallmonkeys (or #somostodosmacacos in Spanish). This movement was to show that organized soccer deplored this racist act and people from around the world stood with Alves.
However, there is now a report in the Spanish paper AS that the spontaneity of the act may not have been spontaneous. The paper reports that Alves and teammate Neymar had asked a marketing firm to draw up an anti-racism campaign in March, after they suffered abuse from fans at Espanyol. The two players decided that next time a banana was thrown at them, the targeted player would eat the banana and the campaign would be launched. The assumption was that it was Neymar who would have taken action, but obviously Alves worked as well.
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To read more on this article click the link above.
4. Soccer Racism and Homophobia: Mexican Fans Chant Profanity During 2014 FIFA World Cup Match Against Brazil and Cameroon
Latin Post:
http://www.latinpost.com/articles/15279/20140620/soccer-racism-homophobia-the-term-puto-chanted-by-mexicos-fans-during-2014-fifa-world-cup-matches-against-brazil-and-cameroon.htm
French footballer Thierry Henry was just 17 when he made his professional debut in 1994, and four years later, he helped to bring the French national team the international championship during the 1998 FIFA World Cup. In 2004, Henry experienced the most potent incident of racism in his career: During a training session with the Spanish national team, the Spanish national coach Luis Aragonés was recorded by a Spanish TV crew referring to Henry as a "black piece of s***" to José Antonio Reyes, Henry's Arsenal teammate. The event rocked him, but unfortunately it failed to be the most hateful language or experience that he had or would endure in his career. The athlete would be showered with spit and mucus, serenaded with monkey chants and pelted with bananas on a regular basis by opposing fans.
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The reluctant tolerance of racism has given way to a spout of homophobia: Mexico's fans harmonized a chant, singing "puto"during two recent matches when Mexico was pitted against Cameroon and Brazil.
HBO's "Real Sports," hosted by Bryant Gumbel, aired an episode in April, entitled "Soccer Racism." The episode reported on the frequent and disgusting displays of racism in European football, which have gone to show the "ugly side of a beautiful game." Several black soccer players spoke about abuse as well as the resulting pain, anger and humiliation felt because of xenophobic game-goers, who hang effigies and bolster hateful speech.
To read more on this article click the link above.5. Nazi sympathizer invades pitch during Ghana-Germany game
Yahoo Sports:
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/soccer-dirty-tackle/nazi-sympathizer-invades-pitch-during-ghana-germany-game-235011679.html
RIO DE JANEIRO — FIFA’s plea to eliminate racism at this year’s World Cup continues to fall on deaf ears.
Despite a vehement campaign from the organization and pleas and public service announcements from teams and players, it has been one of the overriding themes of the 2014 World Cup.
The anti-discrimination Fare network, which made reports to FIFA about the matter on Thursday, noted that there were several neo-Nazi signs at matches involving Russia and Croatia.
And on Saturday, it took center stage again when a Nazi sympathizer rushed the field during the Ghana-Germany game. No security attempted to stop him as he took his shirt off to reveal a pro-Nazi message. He had to be ushered off the field by Ghana midfielder Sulley Muntari.
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