Allegations of racial slur prompt Manitoba youth soccer players to take a knee in solidarity
'We like to think that we've come so far,' says mother of player who says he was targeted with slur at game
Teams competing in Manitoba's youth provincial soccer championships are taking a knee in protest after a player says he was targeted by racial slurs during a game earlier this month.
Evelyne Kiwanuka, who says her son was twice targeted with a racist slur by opposing players during a Manitoba Soccer Association game earlier this month, says she finds the show of solidarity encouraging.
"It gives hope … for teams to say, 'You know what? It didn't happen to me, it didn't happen to my child, but to show support and solidarity, I'm going to take a knee,'" said Kiwanuka, whose son plays with AK Academy.
"There is still a glimmer of hope that some of these children … are not letting the darkness and the hurt and the offence affect them."
The show of protest continued Wednesday night at Winnipeg's Ralph Cantafio Soccer Complex, where players from AK Academy — and their opponents — kneeled before the start of their round-robin game in the boys' 17-and-under division of the MSA Cup.
The gesture comes after a July 3 incident, when AK Academy was playing 1v1 Futbol Dreams in each team's first round-robin game of the Manitoba Soccer Association's provincial tournament.
Near the end of the game, Kiwanuka's 16-year-old son fell.
A player from the opposing team told him to get up and used a racial slur against her son, who is Black, Kiwanuka said.
A fight ensued.
MSA asks players not to take knee
The 16-year-old got up, ran toward the player who allegedly used the slur, and pushed him. Another AK Academy player ran toward them and also shoved the Futbol Dreams player. The AK Academy teammate was then punched in the face by another player on the opposing team.
Kiwanuka says a different Futbol Dreams player had also used a racial slur toward her son earlier in the game. Another player told the referee what happened, but she didn't do anything, according to Kiwanuka.
While Kiwanuka wasn't at the July 3 game, she said she felt saddened and distressed after she heard about it.
"It's 2023," she said. "We like to think that we've come so far."
In response to the incident, AK Academy said in a July 6 social post that its players would be taking a knee at upcoming games in a show of solidarity.
In an email the next day, the Manitoba Soccer Association told teams to refrain from kneeling before games, as it could create division between players.
WATCH | Players take a knee at July 12 game:
However, other teams soon joined in, including teams outside the U17 boys' tournament.
"It looks like the soccer community of Winnipeg has decided, 'Yeah, you know what? We've got your back too, and we're going to raise that awareness because it's important,'" said Dale Carriere, who coaches AK Academy players in grades 3-5.
Carriere said he was at Wednesday's game to support the older players.
"Standing together to support those who are being discriminated against, it's great to see, and I'm very proud of the team and the players for taking this initiative," he said.
The concept of "taking a knee" to protest racism originated in the National Football League in 2016, with San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who chose to kneel during the national anthem before an NFL game to call attention to racial inequality and police brutality.
Racism part of atmosphere: parent
While parents said some players were suspended as a result of the fight at the July 3 game, nobody was disciplined for the racist comments.
The Manitoba Soccer Association has set a date for a disciplinary hearing to look into the matter, but it's been pushed back twice, Kiwanuka said. The hearing is now set for July 25.
"We're just kind of waiting," Kiwanuka said. "We are in the dark in all of this."
She said this isn't the first time she's heard about racist comments during her son's games — from parents in the stands as well as boys on the soccer pitch.
"It's not the second time, it's not the third time. It's been the atmosphere. It's been the climate. It's been the environment," she said. "And I guess this time around, it just took a turn."
Jason Green, whose son is also Black and plays on AK Academy, says parents need to be aware of what they're teaching their kids.
"Parents need to hold themselves accountable too," he said.
Green also said the soccer association needs to deal with the incident immediately to send a message that racism isn't acceptable.
"The kids need to know that the governing body's not going to uphold this," he said. "MSA has an authority. They have a job to do, and they're just sitting back."
Disciplinary committee investigating: MSA
In a July 12 letter sent to teams playing in the tournament, the association said "inappropriate conduct … will not be tolerated under any circumstances" and that "offensive behaviour has no place in any competition."
The Manitoba Soccer Association's executive director, Hector Vergara, told CBC in an email the incident is part of an active case with the organization's independent disciplinary committee.
In an email to CBC, 1v1 Futbol Dreams said the team would not comment until an outcome is reached by the association.
In the meantime, Green's wife, Andrene Simpson Green, said it concerns her "to know in 2023, my 16-year-old son has to not only worry about doing his job on a soccer pitch, but being concerned now that he might be called the N-word."
"Systemic racism is everywhere," she said. "It happens in our own backyard."
The longer it takes to resolve this, the more harm it will cause, she said.
"The longer MSA takes to do this, the more it gives that word power."
Kiwanuka also said the soccer association needs to step up, so her son can continue to enjoy the sport he loves.
"The atmosphere is being allowed to be … poisoned and toxic," she said. "Do what's necessary to make sure that it's a level playing field for all kids."
For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.
Corrections
- We initially reported that Green said the soccer association needs to send a message that racism is acceptable. In fact, he said the soccer association needs to send a message that racism isn't acceptable.Jul 17, 2023 8:39 AM CT
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