TheNewsGuru

Tag: Racism

  • Fighting racism led to Ballon d’Or defeat – Vinicius

    Fighting racism led to Ballon d’Or defeat – Vinicius

    Brazil and Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr said on Monday that he will keep on fighting racism even if his activism is what led to him not winning the Ballon d’Or, sources close to the player told Reuters.

    Vinicius took to social media after finishing second in the prestigious award voting behind Spain and Manchester City midfielder Rodriguez.

    “I will do it 10 times if I have to. They’re not ready,” Vinicius posted on X after his LaLiga side Real Madrid cancelled their plans to attend the ceremony in Paris, boycotting it in anticipation of the Brazilian not winning the men’s award.

    Asked what Vinicius meant with his post, his management staff told Reuters that he was referring to his fight against racism.

    They believe it was what led to him not winning the award, saying that “the football world is not ready to accept a player who fights against the system.”

    The 24-year-old Brazil international has been subjected to racial abuse on several occasions in Spain, leading to at least two convictions for racist insults in pioneer cases in the country.

    Real also won the men’s club of the year award, and their manager Carlo Ancelotti was named men’s coach of the year after winning the European and Spanish league double in a near perfect campaign last season.

    France Football, which organises the Ballon d’Or awards, was not immediately available for comment.

    The awards are based on voting by a panel of journalists from the top 100 FIFA-ranked countries.

    “FOOTBALL POLITICS X. My brother, you are the best player in the world and no award can say otherwise. Love you my bro,” Real’s Eduardo Camavinga posted on X.

    While several other teammates shared messages with photos of Vinicius saying “You are the best”.

    “I waited all year for Vini Jr to be deservedly recognised as the best player in the world and now they come to tell me that the Ballon d’Or is not for him?” Brazilian women’s great Marta said in a video on Instagram.

    Vinicius was instrumental in Real’s Champions League-LaLiga double along with 21-year-old Jude Bellingham, who scored 19 goals in a sparkling debut campaign and helped England reach the Euro 2024 final, and came third in the Ballon d’Or ranking.

  • Why I stopped playing the role of James Bond – Idris Elba

    Why I stopped playing the role of James Bond – Idris Elba

    Popular  British actor, Idris Elba, has stated reasons why he stopped playing the lead character in the eponymous British fictional franchise, James Bond.

    According to Elba, it was very interesting playing James Bond “until it became about racism.”

    The 50-year-old thespian disclosed this while featuring as a guest on the latest episode of the Smartless podcast co-hosted by Jason Bateman, Sean Haves and Will Arnett.

    He added that the rumours flying about him while playing the role were very exciting for him.

    Elba said, “The truth is, I was super complemented for a long time about this [playing the James Bond role]. I was like, ‘This is crazy! James Bond?’

    “We are all actors and we understand that role. It’s one of those coveted roles. Being asked to be James Bond was like, ‘Okay, you’ve sort of reached the pinnacle.’ That is one of those things the whole world has a vote in.

    “It was a huge compliment that every corner of the world, except for some corners, which we will not talk about, were really happy about the idea that I could be considered. Those that weren’t happy about the idea made the whole thing disgusting because it became about race.”

  • “I’ve been brutally sexually assaulted, racially abused”: British-Nigerian Anyika Onuora reveals

    Retired British track and field athlete Anyika Onuora, has revealed she was racially abused and sexually assaulted during the 18 years she represented the UK.

    In her new book,  My Hidden Race, the 37-year-old Olympic champion, who was born in the UK to Nigerian parents, reveals the brutal reality of professional sport for many Black females.

    Speaking about her book which was released in March 2022, Onuora said she had spent 18 months of her life writing down her experience in the world of sports which she hopes would “shine an intense light on the brutal reality of professional sport for many athletes, especially black sports women”.

    “Writing this book has been one of the most painful, but also rewarding experiences of my life. Some good, some bad but also some truly brutal moments.

    Anyika Onuora holding up the framed cover page of her book. 

    “I’m proud of what I achieved as an athlete, but I know that this story will be my greatest achievement yet. The book will take you into a world far from the spotlight of the Olympic torch, ” she said.

    In ‘My Hidden Race’, Onuora recalls a male ‘drunk’ athlete who first grabbed her waist ‘strongly’ while she was competing abroad before he followed her back to her room, forced the door open at 3am and pinned her to the bed.

    He allegedly took off her underwear before she sprang up and began kicking him in the groin and urging herself to “just keep fighting with everything”.

    In another incident, a physio sexually assaulted her, pushing his groin onto her while giving her a massage,  she alleges.

    “I have experienced things as a British athlete that haunt me during the day and the night. No matter how hard I try, I will never be able to outrun the demons in my mind.

    “I have been brutally sexually assaulted, experienced frequent racial abuse, and attempted suicide twice. All while competing for my country,” she disclosed.

    While growing up in the Dingle suburb of Liverpool, Onuora called being spat on, racially abused with bricks thrown at her house. She was burgled and attacked by a gang every week and her family’s car was destroyed in arson until she moved to Wavertree.

    Onuora said she never reported her ordeals to the British Athletics but hopes to raise awareness now to encourage other women in sport to share their stories.

    Award-winning South African writer Donald McRae, said of Onuora’s book: “I’ve read various drafts…I think it’s going one of the great books of 2022. It’s shocking, it’s raw, it’s humane and it’s profound. I also hope it will help to bring about meaningful change”.

  • Saudi Arabians are racist – Former Emir of Kano’s daughter, Shahida

    Saudi Arabians are racist – Former Emir of Kano’s daughter, Shahida

    The daughter of the former Emir of Kano, Shahida Sanusi has shared her experience of racism in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

    Shahida’s father, Muhammadu Sanusi II was the 14th Emir of Kano before he was dethroned by the government of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje.

    In a question and answer session with her followers on Monday, the mother of three admitted that Arabs are racist, adding that she has even experienced racism in the mosque.

    According to her, the gateman attached to their house was racist towards them and wouldn’t answer when they greet him.

    “To be honest, they are are. Yes. I have but it mostly had to do with my daughter. )personally don’t go out much or interact with them enough to know) But definitely have experienced racism even in the mosque and the playground in front of our house. Even my daughter’s school she was one of the only black kids so at first I didn’t think it was racism. I realised later on,” she said.

    “Oh wait, even our ‘Haris’ like the gate man was racist to us when we first came. He wouldn’t even answer salam. It was insane.” she added.

  • Michelle Obama speaks on Meghan’s racism claims

    Michelle Obama speaks on Meghan’s racism claims

    Michelle Obama, former US first lady has said it “wasn’t a complete surprise” to hear Meghan Markle’s claims of racism within the UK royal family.

    TheNewsGuru recalls that the Duchess of Sussex recently sparked widespread criticism after she claimed that a member of the royal family contemplated on not naming Archie, her son, a prince over his skin colour.

    Meghan made this known in an interview with Oprah Winfrey.

    “When I was pregnant… we have in tandem the conversation of ‘he won’t be given security, he’s not going to be given a title’ and also concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he’s born,” she had said.

    But in an interview with Jenna Bush Hager on NBC’s ‘Today’ show, the ex-first lady said she “was not surprised” by the couple’s recollections about comments made about the possible colour of her unborn son’s skin.

    She also hoped that it would be “a teachable moment for us all” while also praying “for forgiveness and healing” for the royals.

    “This, first and foremost, is a family. I pray for forgiveness for them so that they can use this as teachable moment for us all,” Michelle said.

    “Race isn’t a new construct in this world for people of colour, and so it wasn’t a complete surprise to hear her feelings and to hear them articulated.”

    Amidst the public outrage, Buckingham Palace issued a response in which it expressed concerns over the allegations raised by the couple. The palace added that the issue would be addressed “privately.”

    “The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately,” the statement, issued on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II, read.

     

  • Premier League launches racism action plan

    Premier League launches racism action plan

    The Premier League on Tuesday launched a racism action plan to build on existing moves taken to promote equality, diversity and inclusion.

    The plan outlines a series of commitments aimed at creating greater access to opportunities and career progression for black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups in football, and actions to eradicate racial prejudice.

    Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said: “Football is a diverse sport, which brings together communities and cultures from all backgrounds.

    “This diversity has made the game stronger on the pitch and it is vital we ensure this is reflected across all areas of the game.”

    Masters added: “The No Room For Racism Action Plan underpins the Premier League’s continued commitment to promoting equality and tackling discrimination.”

    The Football Association this week called on the government to act quickly in the fight against racism after Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe and Lauren James, a forward for the club’s women’s team, were targeted on social media.

    It follows a number of other incidents in which footballers, including United forward Marcus Rashford and Chelsea full-back Reece James — brother of Lauren — were targeted.

    Last month Britain’s Prince William, president of the Football Association, described the racist abuse aimed at footballers as “despicable”.

    Culture secretary Oliver Dowden described the abuse as “absolutely shocking” and warned a change in the law would see social media companies “more accountable for what happens on their platforms”.

  • Guterres decries racism in UN

    Guterres decries racism in UN

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres has decried the existence of racism in the organisation.

    He indicated that the situation was ironic and worrisome, considering the fact that the organisation’s principles forbid all forms of discrimination.

    Guterres spoke at the launch of “Awareness and Action”, a campaign initiated by the world body to address racism in its fold.

    “Racism challenges every government, every society, and every organisation including our own.

    “It’s true that we have clear rules in place that prohibit and protect staff from all forms of discrimination, including racism.

    “But let’s be honest: sometimes we have been slow to acknowledge the existence of racism inside the UN.
    “Let me be very clear: racism has no place in the United Nations,” Guterres told members of staff at the virtual event which originated from New York.

    The UN chief noted that the organisation was founded on the principles of dignity and worth of the human person, “without distinctions of race, colour, ethnic or national origin”.

    To this end, he said, the UN support member states in developing legal tools and building capacity to address racism in all its ramifications.

    This, he noted, created a special responsibility for those working for the global body to examine and address the menace in the system.

    “We must examine our efforts and ask ourselves if we are doing enough to combat racism and racial discrimination inside our organisation.

    “The exercise we are launching today is aimed at making sure that everyone who contributes to the work of the UN feels respected and valued as an individual, and as a member of our UN family.

    “We need to do better at listening to one another and acknowledging disappointment, anger and pain.

    “The primary objective of the campaign is to create safe spaces for UN personnel to share their experiences and perspectives in a respectful and supportive environment.

    “The campaign aims to raise awareness of the various ways in which racism manifests itself in our workplace.

    “It also seeks to encourage all colleagues to speak up and take action against racism and discrimination in all its forms,” Guterres said.

    He explained that the campaign would feature a series of dialogues to be led by different UN duty stations around the world.

    Guterres said leaders and experts from the UN system, civil society and the private sector would participate in the discussions.

    According to him, the exercise will consider the different facets of racism, and how the organisation can strengthen its culture to better prevent and respond to menace.

  • Racism under pandemic skies, By Owei Lakemfa

    By Owei Lakemfa.

     

    I HAVE in recent days thought more about homo-sapiens, and revalidated my firm position that irrespective of location, colour, status, gender, creed or greed, humans are one. It gladdened my heart that irrefutable scientific evidence shows that humans share over 99 per cent of the same DNA.

     

    My recent thoughts were triggered off following my participation in a two-day virtual conference by the Afe Babalola University on the COVID-19 pandemic and the future of international relations. My thoughts also reinforced my old assertion that racists like Adolf Hitler, Benjamin Nethanyahu, Donald Trump and Boris Johnson who claim or believe in the superiority of one race over the other, are sick.

     

    Racism, like ethnicity is conditioned and can be overcome by rational thinking and building positive constructs. Karl Marx in dissecting human society, came to the scientific conclusion that the fundamental difference among humans is neither race nor faith, but the class they belong. That the English billionaire and the Nigerian billionaire belong to the same ruling class and that the English worker and the Nigerian worker, are members of the same working class; that huge ocean of human beings who sell their physical and mental labour for wages in order to feed, clothe, shelter and provide basic healthcare for themselves and their loved ones.

     

    Ordinarily, believers should not be racist; nobody who says he wants to be Christ-like (Christian) can be a racist. The best example of a Christ-like human is the American, John Brown who with his two sons laid down their lives for the emancipation of slaves. That he is not really recognised nor is his birthday a public holiday, is an indication of the type of society America is; where lives, especially of the poor and Blacks don’t matter.

     

    It is for the same racist reasons the great contributions of ancient Egypt to modern civilisation and knowledge is deliberately down played. These cannot be acknowledged as they do not fit into the sick claims that Whites are superior and Blacks, inferior.

     

    The African revolutionary and medical expert, Franz Fanon encapsulated the human situation in his 1952 book ‘Black Skin, White Masks’ when he wrote: “The Negro, enslaved by his inferiority, the White man, enslaved by his superiority alike behave in accordance with a neurotic orientation.” That is the truth, that humanity has been conditioned and imprisoned by a neurotic orientation.

    We find this going far back to Biblical times, when a group of people claimed to be ‘God’s Chosen People’ when the truth is that they choose themselves. They also claim superiority over all other races (The gentiles). But the Bible exposed such falsehood as it informed that “God created man in his own image.” The simple understanding of this is that God created nobody in his own colour; but that all humans are the image of God.

     

    Perhaps the greatest miracle of modern civilisation is how the Jews left the Palestine as brown-skinned peoples and returned as White people with pointed noses! That is why the White establishment which appropriated Christianity, enslaving people in its name and turning it into a commercial brand, has striven to cast Jesus Christ in the image of a bearded young White man with blue eyes. The most enduring of these images which is common in cathedrals and dominates the subconsciousness of many, is that of Cesare Borgia, the second son of Pope Alexander VI. This model of the “new Jesus Christ” was said to have been painted by Leonardo Vinci.

     

    Another enduring image is that of British actor, Robert Powell who at 33, was casted as Jesus Christ in the 1977 film “Jesus of Nazareth.” So successful was this film across the world, that Powell’s image and photographs were adopted and displayed inside churches across the world as the image of Jesus Christ. It became so universal that the actor had to make a public declaration saying: “I never cease to say and I repeat it to the world since 1977. I am not Jesus Christ, I am just an actor and British comedian. I am tired of seeing my photos displayed in places of worship and other places for worship. I just make a film for a living. Burn my picture and worship the only God in truth! I am just an actor… Jesus is Lord!”

     

    In the wake of the Black Lives Matter universal protests, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby on June 26, 2020 said the Anglican Church should reconsider the way statues and other representations of Jesus portray him as a Whiteman. As for me, I am human, and I do not need to prove it.

     

    The fight for racial equality is not a struggle to be equal as nature already guarantees that; rather, it is a struggle against ingrained and systemic racism and its many manifestations including police brutality. American President Donald Trump called COVID-19 the “The Chinese Disease” implying that it originates from a particular race. Even some Africans whom Trump says live in “shit hole countries” joined him in the racial slur; that coronavirus is “Made in China” and whatever is made in China is not durable. However, these racially based slurs virtually collapsed with the revelation that people in France had contacted COVID-19 three months before the first cases in China.

     

    America has also tried to use COVID-19 as pretext to expel non-American students, mainly Blacks, whose courses have been moved online. The Trump administration asked them to return home to continue their studies. The Black Lives Matter global protests under COVID-19 skies showed that there are large sections of humanity ready to fight for racial and social justice even at the risk of their lives. COVID-19 is indeed a sobering reality; that all humans are as vulnerable as the most vulnerable; that we all live in the same universe and what affects one, affects all. There is a connect between social status and COVID-19. For instance the United Nations say in US, the death rate of African Americans is more than double that of other racial groups. That in England and Wales, the death rate of Blacks and Asians are about double the Whites while in Sao Paulo, Brazil, non-Whites are 62 percent more likely to die of COVID-19.

     

    Also, in the run up to finding a cure and vaccine for COVID-19, some French doctors argued that the trials should be carried out on Blacks not Whites! There is also the possibility that a cure for COVID-19 when found may be priced out of the hands of the poor. So part of the struggle for racial equality is that COVID-19 drugs and vaccines when discovered or developed, must be democratised, otherwise the untreated poor will infect the treated rich.

  • Mississippi drops Confederate flag adopted by White supremacists

    Lawmakers in the U.S. state of Mississippi voted Sunday to surrender the Confederate battle emblem from the state flag more than a century after white supremacist legislators adopted the design, a generation after the South lost the Civil War.

    Spectators in the Capitol cheered and applauded after the votes in the House and Senate.

    Each chamber had broad bipartisan support for the historic decision.

    Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has said he will sign the bill, and the state flag will lose its official status as soon as he does.

    That could happen in the next few days.

    Mississippi has faced mounting pressure to change its flag during the past month amid international protests against racial injustice in the United States.

    After the vote, legislators embraced each other. Even those on the opposite side of the issue also hugged as an emotional day of debate drew to a close.

    A commission is to design a new flag that cannot include the Confederate symbol and that must have the words “In God We Trust.”

    Voters will be asked to approve the new design in the Nov. 3 election. If they reject it, the commission will set a different design using the same guidelines, and that would be sent to voters later.

    Mississippi has a 38% Black population — and the last state flag that incorporates the emblem that’s widely seen as racist.

    Republican House Speaker Philip Gunn, who is white, has pushed for five years to change the flag, saying that the Confederate symbol is offensive.

    The House passed the bill 91-23 Sunday afternoon.

    Within hours, the Senate followed suit, 37-14.

    “How sweet it is to celebrate this on the Lord’s day,” Gunn said. “Many prayed to Him to bring us to this day. He has answered.”

    Debate over changing the flag has arisen before, and in recent years an increasing number of cities and all the state’s public universities have taken it down on their own. But the issue has never garnered enough support in the conservative Republican-dominated Legislature or with recent governors.

    That dynamic shifted in a matter of weeks as an extraordinary and diverse coalition of political, business, religious groups and sports leaders pushed to change the flag.

    At a Black Lives Matter protest outside the Mississippi Governor’s Mansion in early June, thousands cheered as an organiser said the state needs to divorce itself from all Confederate symbols.

    Religious groups — including the large and influential Mississippi Baptist Convention — said erasing the rebel emblem from the state flag is a moral imperative.

  • Covid-19 Impact on Job losses: Aremu Calls for Reindustrialization, condemns Institutional racism, xenophobia world wide

    Covid-19 Impact on Job losses: Aremu Calls for Reindustrialization, condemns Institutional racism, xenophobia world wide

    Sustainable Industrial campaign

    Trade unions in Africa in collaboration with African governments must intensify the campaigns for sustainable industrial policies for the continent to mitigate the negative impact of Covid: 19 on jobs and investment.

    Africa’s Vice President, IndustriALL Global Union, Comrade Issa Aremu made this observation during his address to the virtual IndustriALL’s Executive Committee coordinated by its secretariat on the 17th Wednesday June 2020. IndustriALL’s 60 member-Executive Committee attended by the President, General Secretary and Vice Presidents from Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, Middle East & North Africa, North America, Sub-Saharan Africa and Europe brought trade union representatives from around the world together online to reiterate the demand for a just and better future for workers worldwide.

    IndustriALL Global Union represents 50 million workers in 140 taking up the fight for better working conditions and trade union rights around the world. The Covid-19 pandemic has led to the deepest economic crisis since World War II and is having a catastrophic effect on mining, energy and manufacturing sectors which the global Union organizes. The most hard hit is the textile and garment sectors in Asia and Africa.

    Contributing to the discussions on the Union’s political statement in the wake of the pandemic, Comrade Aremu agrees with the view that “Decades of de-industrialisation and reliance upon global networks of production and trade have depleted the capacity of Africa to produce or commandeer at short notice essential goods, from food to personal protective equipment—even basic pharmaceutical and medical supplies”. He observed that the recent massive disruption of the supply chain from China calls for reindustrialization, value addition and self reliance in Africa. While hailing some of the Economic Stimulus and Workplace Measures introduced by various African governments, the labour leader said with the global lock down, sustainable economic development rests on industrial revival adding that Africa’s leap into the fourth digital industrial revolution is not only desirable but an imperative survival strategy. “We have seen that every nation hoards personal protective equipment to meet home demands. We must simply learn to produce through Industrialization, reliance on outsourced goods and services either from China or Europe is gone for ever. Nations must produce what they consume and create sustainable jobs for their citizens”, Comrade Aremu said.

    Condemns Racism
    He commended IndustriALL Global Union for condemning institutional racism, xenophobia and insurgent fascism in the wake of the brutal death of murder of George Floyd in USA. He however called for intensified workers’ literacy on occupational health and safety adding that endemic ignorance still abounds about infectious diseases among the working class made worse by fake news and misinformation. “We annually loose hundreds of thousands of workers due to criminal negligence of occupational safety by some employers as witnessed during the collapse of the Rana Plaza building that housed garment units killing 1,134 garment workers Bangladesh in 2013. An unseen killer Covid:19 might cause more harms in workplaces without massive health and safety awareness” he said.

    In his opening remarks, president Jörg Hofmann of IG metal Germany called for United labour movement to fight the pandemic. “The crisis is impacting trade union activities and is being used to roll back the rights we fought to have. The strength of IndustriALL is based on the strength of its members, on their negotiations, campaigns and other actions. We must stand together, as the majority of the 3.3 billion workers worldwide are worried about their existence and future.”

    The International Labour Organization is predicting that by July this year, 300 million formal jobs will have been lost, even more in the informal economy.

    In his report to the Executive Committee on the impact of Covid-19 on IndustriALL’s sectors, general secretary Valter Sanches said that IndustriALL is working with global unions, national unions and sector level unions to ensure that workers are protected.

    “We see our affiliates fighting against the negative impacts of Covid-19, defending the health and safety, jobs and income of their members. And at the same time, unions work with companies to reconvert production facilities to manufacture goods mostly needed in the frontline of care, like ventilators and hand sanitizers.”

    IndustriALL’s Womens Committee met the day before the Executive Committee, and in the report, co-chair Monica Veloso stressed that women must be included in all aspects of the union.

    “The current pandemic affects women in hardest times, at the same time they are underrepresented in unions. Unions have to fight for women’s rights and for gender equality. Governments are not providing enough guarantees that women can work without suffering harassment. More governments urgently need to ratify ILO Convention 190 on violence and harassment in the world of work.”

    The high points of the Executive Committee meeting was unanimous adoption a political statement on Covid-19, as well as a resolution for a campaign on brands in the textile and garment industry.

    CONGRESS POSTPONED
    In face of the pandemic and its risks, the Executive Committee alao unanimously decided to postpone IndustriALL’s third Congress one year, until September 2021. The Congress was initially billed for October Gris year in South Africa.

    MANDATES EXTENDED
    The current mandates (executive committee, internal auditors, president, vice presidents and leadership) will be extended accordingly. The mandates of the two Congress preparatory working groups (statutes/finances/sustainable structures and action plan) were also extended.