After two Sudanese refugees who play for Deinster SV in Germany were targets of racial abuse, the team decided to speak out, digitally altering the team photo so the players appeared to be in blackface and posting it on Facebook.
The Facebook post read (translation via Goal.com):
"Our friend and fellow player, Emad, was insulted and beaten on racial grounds on Saturday. This is just sad!
"Violence against refugees is pathetic!! Emad and Amar - you belong to us, like any other at [the club] and we are pleased that you are with us!!!"
This is an admirable sentiment, sure. Racism is bad. Violent racism against refugees is especially bad. Football clubs are such important parts of the culture, especially in Europe, that when they speak out n issues like this, people sometimes actually listen.
But.
But this is not a good way to go about this sort of thing. I get it. You're united. All for one and one for all. If one of you is black, all of you are black because you are a team.
But.
But blackface has a history. That history is not pretty. Blackface has mostly been used to degrade and insult black people, to mock them and keep them from gaining control over their own portrayal in society.
This is not the Miami Heat wearing hoodies to protest the Trayvon Martin killing. This is like the worst possible version of that.
I wish more teams would speak out against racial abuse, because it is rampant among soccer fans in Europe. I just wish they wouldn't use blackface to do it. The Facebook post, which was a nice message, could probably have stood on its own without the blackface. Just be a little more tactful next time, y'all.
(H/T Goal.com)
Contact The18 Staff Writer Sam Klomhaus at Klomhaus@The18.com or follow him on Twitter @SamKlomhaus
