The SEASON Guide To Being Anti-Racist And Supporting The Black Community In Football Part 1
L to R Jeanette Kwayke and Eniola Aluko
Photography Jane Stockdale
SEASON zine issue 05
Last week, many posted on #blackouttuesday to honor the lives and protest the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade and all those who have died under racism and police brutality in the US, UK (including but not limited to Steven Lawrence, Mark Duggan, Sean Rigg, Joy Gardner) and elsewhere. Conversations and actions to end white supremacy have reached an all-time high in communities across the world.
But activism and anti-racism shouldn’t just be another trend. Black Lives Always Matter.
Gil Pennant (Felicia’s Dad) has a phrase that’s legendary amongst the SEASON team: “Do you want the surface answer? Or the deep one?” The answer should be: always the deep one. Deeper than a black square.
The conversation about racism in football isn't a new one. It manifests differently in men's and women's football, on and off the pitch, and it's a topic we've covered in the pages of SEASON. But we, the SEASON team, are using this moment to reflect on our role and responsibility in working towards ending racism in our own industry.
When recording The SEASON Podcast last summer one thing was very clear: Black guests spoke about their love of the game, the moments that first thrilled them, their favourite shirts … and the racism they had faced as players and fans. White guests meanwhile, could just focus on their love of the game, the moments and the shirts. To be clear, this is a blind spot of ours to not ask these questions of all of our subjects.
Like the men’s game, the women’s game is not free of racism. When Aluko called out Mark Sampson’s racism in the Lionesses squad, it cost her an international career. She only received an apology from the FA following three rounds of investigation, three years later. She discussed that in-depth in Issue 05: Religion. Tottenham defender Renee Hector was racially abused by Sheffield United's Sophie Jones during a Championship match in January 2019.
“The conversation about racism in football isn’t a new one. It manifests differently in men’s and women’s football, on and off the pitch, and it’s a topic we’ve covered in the pages of SEASON. But we, the SEASON team, are using this moment to reflect on our role and responsibility in working towards ending racism in our own industry. ”
On a panel for UN Women’s ‘Game Plan’ in October last year, a question about male allies raised a better point; ‘There are black and Asian women doing amazing stuff. Why is it that we’re pushing this male-ally when we haven’t figured out gender equality between white women and non-white women?’
On the business side, the 2018/19 Sport England ‘Diversity In Governance’ report found that while women now make up an average 40 percent of board members across Sport England and UK Sport funded bodies, slower progress was made in the inclusion BAME members, who only made up five percent in these positions.
The media also needs to diversify. According to BCOMS (the Black Collective Of Media in Sport) there has never been a black sports editor on a national mainstream UK newspaper. In the UK, there are no black sports columnists across mainstream national papers, who aren’t current or were previously former professional sportsmen and women.
The work of speaking up against racism in the football industry -- whether on the pitch, in stands or in the media -- has largely been led by black voices. Hayley Bennett summed it up about founding Nutmegs, an online football community creating inclusive, accessible and safe spaces for women and non-binary people of colour to get on with watching football in SEASON zine issue 06: ‘Too often it takes the emotional labour of people like me to change things.’
Founded, owned, and published by a black woman, SEASON’s conversations about these issues are happening internally and externally continuously. While we’re a small publication, we’ve been pushing for change since our inception and will never stop.
As part of those efforts, we’ve compiled a guide that we hope will inform and inspire people – specifically our non-black readers and peers – to learn more about the systemic racism within the sport we all love and how you can be part of taking action to end it. This is part one. Stay tuned for more ways for us all to reflect, educate, donate, follow, and support. Our email and DMs are open if you have any questions and feedback.
WATCH
TV: Shame In The Game - Racism In Football
Last season saw a 66 percent rise in hate crimes at professional football matches in England and Wales. Interviews and undercover footage exposing racism at every level via the BBC.
YOUTUBE: Is Post-Racism A Myth?
Definitely. Watch Eniola Aluko in conversation with professor and writer Afua Hirsch via Al Jazeera.
TV: Ian Wright - Out Of Their Skin
Wright looks back at the history of black footballers in Britain - using Viv Anderson’s debut for England in 1978 as a starting point via ITV.
Racism in the game through the pitch, the media at the grassroots level and more via Sky Sports.
Award-winning director Spike Lee’s short film for ESPN on the Howard University men’s football team via The Undefeated.
READ
‘Right now we’re at a point in our history where it’s not enough to say something or have a hashtag and not do something about it.’ Forward Lynn Williams speaks on systemic racism in America and the women’s game alongside defender Crystal Dunn, forward Jessica McDonald, goalkeeper Adrianna Franch, defender Becky Sauerbrunn, midfielder Julie Ertz and defender Midge Purce via The Athletic.
Football Manager Has A Racism Problem
‘Racist attitudes seem to have bled into soccer’s most popular management simulation game,’ concludes Dan Kopf for QZ. Statistical analysis shows even in a virtual world the ratings of players and staff with darker skin are compromised.
Monkey Noises in Women’s Football Are A Reminder That Racism Goes Beyond Raheem Sterling
Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff, Head of Editorial at gal-dem, reminds us that the women’s game is not exempt from overt racism - from the school field pitches and sidelines to the lack of black women in the England line up. Comparing to the men’s game she says if ‘it continues to grow at the pace it is, we will be heading towards a similar disaster.’
SEASON issue 05 cover star Eniola Aluko tells all in her book - the highs, the lows, and what really happened when Mark Sampson made racially discriminatory remarks towards her. Longlisted for the William Hill Sports Book Of The Year 2019, Aluko’s achievements include a first class law degree with honours, 102 appearances for England, and being the very first female pundit on Match of the Day.
Hope Powell is a black, gay woman who's been a relentless force in the national game, from the grassroots to the top flight. At 12 years old, Powell was banned from playing football for her school team because she was a girl. Not letting that set her back - she received her first England cap at the age of 16, and eventually became England manager, the first woman to gain the UEFA pro-licence, and she managed the GB Women football teams at the 2012 Olympics. Read her story.
Shot at Eniola Aluko’s house at the time, Aluko (ex Chelsea, Juventus and England player, now Aston Villa Women’s Sporting Director) and Jeanette Kwakye (Olympian turned broadcaster) are in conversation sharing the realities of being black and female in sport.
On the final page, our EIC Felicia Pennant unpacks Raheem Sterling’s reaction to racist abuse at Stamford Bridge and touches on her and her dad Gil Pennant’s experiences as black football fans.
“Racism Is Overt, Covert And Widespread”: Felicia Pennant On Why Diversity Should Never Be A Trend
‘Speak up and call out when you see these injustices and prejudices from your family and friends, in your workplace, in your supermarket, in the club, wherever you see it. Stop shopping from brands that exploit black people and black culture. Platform, support, and champion black people and black businesses honestly and authentically,’ Pennant writes in British Vogue.
LISTEN
Friends Musa Okwonga and Ryan Hunn look at the game on-and-off the field through writing and a twice-weekly podcast. An essential subscribe anyway, Episode 62’s super-honest introduction frames racism and football on a personal and professional level, before their usual expertise in the game.
The SEASON Podcast: Episode 7 with Eartha Pond
Eartha Pond is an inspiration. The ex-Arsenal, Chelsea, and Spurs player won the FA Cup and the Premier League and has since become a powerful campaigner for Grenfell, in education and beyond.
The SEASON Podcast Episode 5 with Tyra Mills
Tyra Mills, a youth worker, Chelsea FC Foundation coach, and U23 Spurs player, is bringing infectious energy to the game. Catch some of it in this episode - chatting with Felicia about being passionate Chelsea fans and why girls DM her for advice.
SEASON met them in the Prince of Peckham when Manchester United smashed Chelsea at the beginning of the season. They are England's first black female-led football podcast and we featured it in SEASON issue 07. Subscribe now for the project restart episode. Which clubs are ready?
DONATE
@fcharlem
The UK’s leading anti-racism educational charity. They produce educational resources and deliver training events and workshops.
Football Development programme started by Francesca Brown, as featured in discussion with leadership consultant and her mentor Michelle Moore in SEASON issue 06. Donations go to school programmes and the development centre.
Founded by Bobby Kasanga in 2015, Hackney Wick FC serves hundreds of people in the community and has the best shirts in the game. Part of the Grassroots for Good network - donations support the club in their mission to address inequality and discrimination.
An organisation based in New York City, creating opportunities for black youth to play football. They’re currently raising funds for a dedicated soccer field.
FOLLOW
@tmvmt_the_movement
A truly inclusive creative football collective run by founder/manager Trisha Lewis. As she said in advance of last year’s Spring Kicks, ‘I hope that you’ll all be proud of how you’re disrupting the world of football – and that together we can inspire all generations of womxn so they know that there’s a place for everyone in team sports.’
Dr Amira Rose Davis on Burn It All Down Podcast
As well as being an Assistant Professor of History and Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies at Penn State University, Amira Rose Davis is part of the Burn It All Down pod (featuring SEASON contributor Shireen Ahmed) Biggest stories in sport through an intersectional feminist lens. Celebrating those that deserve, condemning the worst to The Burn Pile. Support the pod on Patreon.
A football community for women of colour and non-binary people of colour founded by Hayley Bennett. ‘Supporting. Existing. Vibing.’ They are dedicated to creating new inclusive spaces to connect and enjoy the game.
Arsenal fan and friend of SEASON who shot our issue 06 launch event has shared a ‘Black Joy’ thread.
Aka @sirius.film has photographed the Arsenal team including Hector Bellerin, Maya Jama, SEASON issue 04 cover star and close friend Ocean Lewis and more. She also shot for us at our Women’s World Cup and Chelsea FC events. Her first book ‘Sirius Nostalgia’ is out now, while her Girls Don’t Cry Project is doing important work in empowerment, mental health awareness and self-expression.
A portrait, fashion and events photographer, Nanyonga is a key part of the SEASON team as our marketing coordinator who has developed our social strategy. Read her essay on Tokenism vs Representation in the workplace via LinkedIn. ‘This feeling is a more sporadic but similar to feeling like a token in the workspace. These can be hard to define and even more difficult to explain to those not exposed to the same experiences; metrics and numbers mean nothing if everyone does not take part.’
Sky Sports presenter for news (and sometimes football tricks) and host of The Women's Football Show - where guests deep dive into the game. She noted on Instagram that there’s an all-female team behind the scenes, rare on a sports programme.
The youth worker, Chelsea FC Foundation coach, and U23 Spurs player featured on The SEASON podcast (above).
The FBB leader featured in our ‘Ready or Not, Here We Come’ editorial in SEASON issue 07 with teammates Luna Etienne and Maya Krishnan. Future star.
Sports, sneakers, and beautiful shots, the photographer took the images that accompany the ‘Passing the Torch’ feature in SEASON issue 07.
Broadcaster and journalist, Monique runs her own Youtube channel Arsenal Fan TV and Arseblog, and also founded the Women’s Match Day Show covering the women’s game up close.
The photography talent behind our FANS zine at the Adidas creator base and ‘Our Shero’ feature images in SEASON issue 06. She’s also a creative director and manager of musician and chef Denai Moore, who features in SEASON issue 07.
Fan, player and founder of Diaspora Darlings.
Founder of professional sports network Sports Shifts, created in 2019 to bring diverse voices and topics to the table. Currently fundraising to host at least four events that platform black women and collaborate and connect with new faces in the sports industry and beyond.
A football journalist based in the U.S. currently working at Bleacher/Report.
Photographer and former professional football player.
@pippa_monique
A US-based lifestyle brand focusing on the intersection of football and black culture. ‘A lot of people have asked us how they can help or support at this time with everything going on. As we plan our own actions, what's important is that our voice is amplified so that the stories and contributions of black people to soccer are heard and recognised.’
While more than 25 per cent of professional players in the UK are black, there is a lack of representation in decision making positions across all areas away from the pitch. To help address this and pay tribute to those in influential positions – Leon Mann and Rodney Hinds founded the Football Black List initiative to shine a light on those who are inspiring the next generation to consider other roles in football. Featuring our EIC Felicia Pennant.
Global sports project for players of African descent.
Established in late 2017 by Calum Jacobs, CARICOM talks football and fan culture through the lens of the black experience in the United Kingdom and beyond. Buy now for the interview with Hertha Berlin striker Salomon Kalou and ‘The Caricom Guide to Black Male Mental Health’ written by co-founder of the Over The Bridge Podcast, Kwaku Dapaah-Danquah.
Greer-Aylece Robinson is a football coach and researcher working in sports and Disability Advocacy at Disability Sports Coach (a charity). She founded TMVMT - Standing for justice, access and opportunity to ensure the structures not working for black women and others underrepresented in sports. ‘I fear the system and structures will fail them and stymie their potential -- causing them to become another statistic of the drop in participation, due to their race and gender. I aim to garner conversations and create change, not only for them but for others also,’ Robinson says.
Stylist and creative, now the co-host of a WOC/BAME focused podcast @soleintentpodcast and in our '10 football creatives can't take our eyes off' feature.
Sportswear for ‘sporty wavy girls’
Game day tracksuits and masks in support of The Wickers Charity.
Sustainable very-desirable reworked sportswear corsets made in San Francisco.
Words: the SEASON team