News Review into racism at Collingwood

[Carringbush2010]

I agree with you. To me racism is negatively stereotyping or discriminating against someone based on their cultural background. And it's done all around the world, within all cultures. Full stop. End of story. It's much more damaging and thus much more of a concern when it's done by a majority against a disempowered minority, but it's racism whichever direction it's heading in.

Another one that gets it.

And now the club has applied that to itself (or so it seems), and seems in reparation mode. How that all comes out remains to be seen.

 

[Carringbush2010]

Are you serious, careful for what?

Because someone somewhere out there may take offence that only Aussies are unique i:e view your statement as discriminatory.

INB4 'that is far reaching', not the point. If those who view this as far reaching cannot have it both ways. It either is or it isn't, sure there are varying degrees but that depends on who views it which way and in whatever degree. I:E everyone has different and varying views.


Someone somewhere out there may take offence that only Aussies are unique i:e view your statement as discriminatory.

This is why I say language is important, it's very easy to construe what one says as something that differs to what they mean.

 

[Collingwood Fans Care]

Our petition hit 10,000 signatures last night! Thanks to everyone who signed. If you want to see Collingwood actually be better, and not just talk about being better, please read, sign, and share here ----> CFC Petition. Racism makes us weaker in every way. Thank you!

We've also been featured on ABC news and radio -->

ABC Radio CFC (interview half way through)

ABC News CFC (scroll down for video)

 

[jmac70]

I'd argue racism in the formative years has the potential to be the most damaging.

But in terms of the conversation, no word, comment, phrase or sentence taken out of context is either racist or not racist. It's all about context: who what, where, when, how vand why it was said.

You’re correct, racism in the formative years is incredibly damaging. Being referred to as a “skip” is not racism though. Not even close.

 

[Gone Critical]

Myself actually, have been called a 'skip' many times.

Being called skip e.g by kids of Italian background at the school I went to, isn’t racist as there is no history of oppression to that group. Reverse it and calling a kid a wog definitely had racist overtones because the Italian and Greek migrants were looked down on by a significant proportion of the population.

 

[Dead Eye Didak]

Reporting of players upset, who want to supply a statement regarding the issues of the past few days, but the club is against it. Could see this happening, and obviously alot more to play out here....

 

[jmac70]

Reporting of players upset, who want to supply a statement regarding the issues of the past few days, but the club us against it. Could see this happening, and obviously alot more to play out here....

Do you have a link to these reports?

 

[Dead Eye Didak]

Do you have a link to these reports?

No links, was mentioned by Lyon on SEN

 

[ExcitementMachine]

Being called skip e.g by kids of Italian background at the school I went to, isn’t racist as there is no history of oppression to that group. Reverse it and calling a kid a wog definitely had racist overtones because the Italian and Greek migrants were looked down on by a significant proportion of the population.

You went to a private school so you do have white privilege.

Being called skip. Being punched by an indigenous kid for no reason then he claim.to be the victim.by lying about race card, being the target of lebanese aggression for no real reason other than being a skip, or wogs are better than aussue are examples of it. And a lot of that was water of a ducks back for me and the other 'skips' at my school.

Theres a lot more to diversity then skin colour and those shades ink this idea of power plus prejudice anyway.

 

[NoobPie]

No links, was mentioned by Lyon on SEN

What was the implied intent of the players? i.e upset with the club or upset with the media characterisations?

I thought Cornes' effort in regards to Pendlebury was disgraceful and stupid

 

[Gone Critical]

It's funny about that. Im a bit younger than john newman...isnt everyone?... and I knew the history of what it meant for a white man to paint his face black....have a look at Al jolson for those that dont know. For eddie or john to say that they didnt know about black face, I think that would be a lie.

Born in 1960 I have to say that “blackface” being offensive wasn’t something I understood until fairly recently.

We had a strong understanding of the racial oppression of the African-Americans in the US. I knew about the civil rights movement, bussing, the south and had a pretty sympathetic view in my mind

I had a vaguer idea that Al Jolson wasn’t now considered not right but that was vague and seemed historical rather than relevant.

But for someone to dress up as a black American for a TV show, the local footy club or social club show or fancy dress party wasn’t seen as racist. Everyone picked fun at whichever race, type of person etc was in costume. I didn’t see dressing as a British toff, Irish simpleton, Italian sharp dresser etc etc as any different from someone dressing like an African American. To some degree this was because we knew no one like that, we didn’t have any direct role in their troubles and they with the rest of the US provided us with a lot of our entertainment and socialisation etc.

To illustrate that in 2009, not long ago, six doctors revived their act as the Jackson 5, perhaps they couldn’t count, that they performed on Hey Hey It’s Saturday as medical students in about 1989.

In 1989 it was seen as totally innocent and not racist in Australia. In 2009 Darryl Somers and his production company had no idea this was offensive when they reprised the act. The 6 doctors didn’t understand

It took Harry Connick Junior, a judge on the show that night to point out the offence and give the act a zero. Somers, Jackie McD, the other judges and the audience were flummoxed . They didn’t pick it at all. This was a full 10 years after Newman did his blackface.

Newman’s was more sinister as he was mocking Winmar but it’s not as simple as looking through today’s knowledge. There was definitely an ignorance in Australia that blackface was offensive for a long time.

In a similar vein when Bert Newton said to Muhammad Ali “I like the boy” at the Logies in the 70’s. The Americans in the audience went into protection mode, Ali questioned why he had heard and Newton had no idea what had happened but was acutely aware he had just insulted the World Heavyweight Champ but wasnt quite sure how.

Ignorance is sometimes an explanation

 

[AndrewShawble]

What was the implied intent of the players? i.e upset with the club or upset with the media characterisations?

I thought Cornes' effort in regards to Pendlebury was disgraceful and stupid

what did he say?

He’s a scumbag that bloke, thrives on a pile on.

 

[NoobPie]

You went to a private school so you do have white privilege.

Being called skip. Being punched by an indigenous kid for no reason then he claim.to be the victim.by lying about race card, being the target of lebanese aggression for no real reason other than being a skip, or wogs are better than aussue are examples of it. And a lot of that was water of a ducks back for me and the other skips at my school.

Growing up white in a rough multicultural area does not make you a victim of racism

 

[PieNSauce]

Sadly, after a couple of days educating myself, reading and listening to opinions and a lot of soul searching, I am beginning to come to the conclusion that Eddie should step down as soon as possible. Much as I have loved a lot of what he has done and in particular the fact that he virtually rescued the club from extinction, I am fast losing respect for him through repeated gaffes and mistakes that have clearly caused hurt and harm. This is not how I want my beloved Collingwood to behave or to be viewed. Sorry Ed but I no longer feel that I can support your presidency and I can only hope that you will now do what is in the best interests of the club that you clearly love.

 

[WalterBlaknWhte]

...To illustrate that in 2009, not long ago, six doctors revived their act as the Jackson 5, perhaps they couldn’t count, that they performed on Hey Hey It’s Saturday as medical students in about 1989...

Ignorance is sometimes an explanation

I know one of the 6 doctors - lovely guy

He was confused as hell at first, not knowing the history of blackface

He is also a dark-skinned Sri Lankan, which he knew didn't remove his responsibility to not be discriminatory, but which added a dimension to his family's in-group humour of their own colour

 

[ExcitementMachine]

Growing up white in a rough multicultural area does not make you a victim of racism

Can people stop going the straw man route. What's your story, how can you refute, so you believe in the power plus prejudice can only equal examples of racism?

 

[Quicky]

Heritier is calling for an AFL wide review of racism.

AFL racism review would have findings ‘even worse’ than Collingwood: Lumumba

Heritier Lumumba says the way the AFL has dealt with incidents of racism has been “completely unacceptable, below par” and called for a Pies-style review of the league.

www.theage.com.au

 

[partypie]

Heritier is calling for an AFL wide review of racism.

AFL racism review would have findings ‘even worse’ than Collingwood: Lumumba

Heritier Lumumba says the way the AFL has dealt with incidents of racism has been “completely unacceptable, below par” and called for a Pies-style review of the league.

www.theage.com.au

The cynical part of me makes me think that there's not a whole lot of 'altruism' in this particular call.

I don't disagree with him though, in that there are probably numerous skeletons hiding in closets across the league that haven't made it out into the light and if someone delves back into the 70's or even earlier in the manner that our report did then there will be some pretty nasty stuff in there.

Whether you can paint what happened in a completely different era as being indicative of systemic racism in today's AFL, given the steps forward that have been taken in more recent eras, is probably another important question.

 

[jackcass]

I don’t believe racism against whites is significant.

Tell that to white Zimbabweans.

 

[Dead Eye Didak]

What was the implied intent of the players? i.e upset with the club or upset with the media characterisations?

I thought Cornes' effort in regards to Pendlebury was disgraceful and stupid

Sounds like the players want to clarify their stance on any form of racism within the club, and to make sure the current playing group are not implicated with any of the findings in the report....

 

[PieNSauce]

Sounds like the players want to clarify their stance on any form of racism within the club, and to make sure the current playing group are not implicated with any of the findings in the report....

That would make sense given that Heritier's refusal to name names has smeared every one of them who was there when he was. Sad state of affairs!

 

[Kings_Gambit]

I wish Heritier would actually come back and work with the club. I totally support his right to call out past racism and there is no time limit on his calling that out. I really don’t like his stance on not wanting come back and work with the club. It appears to me that club is trying to make this right but nothing seems to satisfy him.

 

[Dead Eye Didak]

The cynical part of me makes me think that there's not a whole lot of 'altruism' in this particular call.

I don't disagree with him though, in that there are probably numerous skeletons hiding in closets across the league that haven't made it out into the light and if someone delves back into the 70's or even earlier in the manner that our report did then there will be some pretty nasty stuff in there.

Whether you can paint what happened in a completely different era as being indicative of systemic racism in today's AFL, given the steps forward that have been taken in more recent eras, is probably another important question.

Well considering the report into our club covered quite a fewvdecades of our history, l think if any other club or clubs opened themselves up to a external review like we did, then l think most clubs, if not all, would be reviewing and implementing changes to their processes and procedures into handling any form of racism at their club/s.

 

[PieNSauce]

I wish Heritier would actually come back and work with the club. I totally support his right to call out past racism and the is no time limit on calling that out. I really don’t like his stance on not wanting come back and work with the club. It appears to me that club is trying to make this right but nothing seems to satisfy him.

With the possible exception of Eddies immediate removal and who would blame him.

 

[Dead Eye Didak]

That would make sense given that Heritier's refusal to name names has smeared every one of them who was there when he was. Sad state of affairs!

Yes, l gather that would be their main concern....