By Vanessa Cort
WHY is it that when people of colour choose to celebrate a successful journey, whether it be in sport, business or simply in life, it is seen as divisive?
This was the criticism levelled two weeks ago, when black tennis stars, Naomi Osaka and Taylor Townsend, held an evening get-together for black players in this traditionally white, elitist sport.
It was a private event whose purpose was not to exclude anyone, but to provide a safe space for black players to gather and celebrate their successful participation in a sport which often made them feel invisible.
As an Indian news anchor and sports journalist, Rupha Armani, said “…the fact that this celebration made so many people squirm is an indication that the sport still has some growing up to do.”
And so do the internet trolls, who turned it into a global debate about race, inclusion and divisiveness, politicising what was meant as a simple evening of meet and greet among black tennis players.
I doubt there would have been such an outcry had the Chinese players, for instance, held such a social.
There seems to be just something that rankles whenever black people seek to celebrate their presence in any given field or simply to announce to the world, ‘we are here’.
The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement met with opposition from those who claimed that it unfairly promoted black lives, arguing that all lives matter.
They completely missed the point that this statement could only be true if black lives matter and, given the killing of black people in ways clearly indicative of racism, the BLM sought to highlight the value of black lives.
The Movement was criticised as divisive and, ironically, accused of supporting ‘reverse racism’ by what many saw as pushing a black agenda.
When they took to the streets, BLM supporters were blamed for violence largely perpetrated by fringe elements, well-known for joining protests to loot and pillage.
When Muhammad Ali called for segregation of the races, he openly poked fun at a society which has for so long embodied division, while claiming to be inclusive.
Ali advocated against inter-racial marriages and was subsequently jailed for refusing to be drafted for the war in Vietnam, accurately pointing out that the soldiers being sent there were disproportionately black.
Yet ‘the world’s greatest’ boxer delivered his controversial views with such wit and wisdom that he became a popular guest on talk shows, with predominantly white audiences.
He was famously asked to return, by popular demand, to the leading talk show in the UK at the time – ‘Frost over England’ – hosted by David Frost.
Liked for his acerbic wit, Frost, at the end of the evening, told Ali it was a pleasure being on HIS show. He was giving credit to the boxer for effectively redirecting the slant of the show, at one point actually telling the host to put aside his list of questions and just talk.
This took place decades ago and is a testament to the fickle nature of the viewing audience and the wider public, who can take offence at innocent acts, yet be prepared to listen when openly goaded.
What is more telling is the fact that in this age of ‘wokism’, people seem to be even more judgemental than ‘back in the day’ and politics appears to be able to control narratives where it has no business.
But the move by these two black athletes and the subsequent backlash shows the ‘thin skin’ of those who also have a lot of growing up to do.
The Indian sports journalist put it in perspective when she said, “Athletes today are allowed to express themselves until their expression makes others uncomfortable, then suddenly it becomes political… true inclusion is not just about allowing people into the room. It’s about allowing them to celebrate when they get there, without judgment.”
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited.
