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Lesson Overview
Featured Article: “When the Monkey Chants Are for You: A Soccer Star’s View of Racist Abuse” by Rory Smith.
As black players in Europe endure racist incidents with increasing regularity, Romelu Lukaku, a striker for Inter Milan, speaks out about what he has endured: “It’s crazy.”
In this lesson, you will reflect on your own experiences as a fan, learn more about racism in European soccer and find out how one player is fighting back. In a Going Further activity, you will design a public service announcement to educate fans about racism.
Warm Up
Racism at European soccer games is on the rise. Recently, England’s national team threatened to walk off the field during a game in Bulgaria after fans made Nazi salutes and yelled monkey chants. In the Netherlands, a match was temporarily halted by racist chants. After a series of episodes in which black players were racially abused, Italian soccer officials unveiled an education initiative to fight the problem, but the initiative was immediately labeled racist itself.
What responsibility do fans, players, teams, referees and sports leagues have to address and remedy the problem?
Before reading the article, take a moment to think back to sporting events you’ve attended. Have you ever witnessed a fan’s or group of fans’ behavior toward players push a personal boundary or limit? Have you ever witnessed anyone cross the line into verbal abuse at a sporting event? Have you ever felt unsafe as a fan or worried for the well-being and safety of the players?
If yes, describe what happened.
What, in your opinion, made a comment or action inappropriate? How did you or other fans react? Did anyone speak out? What do you think should have been done to deal with the behavior you felt was harmful?
Questions for Writing and Discussion
Read the article, then answer the following questions:
1. The article begins, “Romelu Lukaku was planning on a relaxing evening in front of the TV.” Why were his plans interrupted? What did he do instead?
2. There have been numerous examples of racism at soccer games in recent months. Give three examples.
3. How does Lukaku deal with the racism he has encountered — both emotionally and as a player on the field?
4. What factors are connected to the increase in racism at European soccer matches, according to the article?
5. Why did Lukaku leave England after nearly eight years of play? Why did he feel that criticisms of his performance with Manchester United were biased and unfair?
6. What does Stella Orakwue, the author of “Pitch Invaders: The Modern Black Football Revolution,” mean when she writes that black players are judged “not on the basis of their individuality but on the basis of concocted group characteristics, enshrined in mythology”? How do characterizations of Lukaku’s play by fans, sportscasters and media support her view?
7. The article concludes:
He [Lukaku] does not feel cowed. He has not allowed it to sour his experience. But that does not mean that he is prepared to tolerate it, or that he believes others should be forced to endure it, or wait passively as education improves and ignorance erodes.
“You have to keep coming on strong,” he said. “You have to keep fighting.” He cannot be silent, so he does what he has always done: He stands up, and speaks.
What is your reaction to Lukaku’s final quote? What lessons can we learn from his story — whether we are fans of the sport or not?
Going Further
Choose one or more of the following activities:
1) What should be done to address racism in European soccer?
This summer, the Union of European Football Associations, the governing body of European soccer and the umbrella organization for 55 national associations — including the Premier and Italian leagues — set a three-step protocol for handling racist abuse during matches. Step one involves a message played over the public-address system, with step two having the referee take the teams off the field for a period of time. If the players return to action and another episode of racist behavior occurs, the game will be ended as the third step of the protocol.
In a related article, “In Fight Against Racism, Soccer Can Choose the Playing Field,” Mr. Smith writes:
Many would advocate an outright ban for teams or nations that are repeat offenders, like Bulgaria. If there is a fear that may nourish some sort of victim complex — though it should be pointed out that at the heart of all far-right thinking is a contorted sense of persecution — then perhaps a simpler solution is at hand.
There is no reason that any player, white or black, should be expected to go and play in a country with a history of racist abuse. Perhaps, then, those nations where this occurs depressingly frequently should be forced to play all of their matches away from home. The same punishment could be meted out to club teams, rather than forcing games to be played without fans but on familiar ground.
What do you think should be done?
Should teams or nations be banned? Should games be halted? Should players and teams walk off the field? Should fans be suspended or banned? Should other fans intervene? Should players shrug off racist chants as a part of the game, as some Italian fans suggested after an episode last year?
2) Write a code of fan conduct.
How can we ensure the safety and well-being — physical and emotional — of players and other fans?
Consider how to distinguish between fan behavior like cheering and booing, and abusive behavior and racist chants? What kind of behavior would be acceptable: Trying to distract a player during a penalty kick or a free throw? Chanting a player’s name in mockery? The use of profanity?
Your code of conduct can be for your own school or for a professional league like Serie A. (You might want to take a look at codes for professional sports leagues like the N.B.A. or the N.F.L.)
3) Make an antiracism public service announcement for soccer fans.
UEFA and FIFA have made several powerful antiracism public service announcements:
“Say No to Racism — My Game Is Fair Play”
“Thierry Henry Stand UP, Speak UP Commercial”
Individually or as a class, watch the P.S.A.s and then analyze and discuss: What is a public service announcement? How is it different from a commercial? What is the message of each P.S.A.? Who is the target audience? What video and audio elements were used? How did these elements strengthen the message? How effective was the announcement? How might you improve it?
Then, storyboard your own public service announcement, and if you have time, record, edit and share it with your class. Scholastic provides some useful tips and a sample P.S.A. storyboard.
Here are some steps to consider:
Determine a clear message.
Identify a target audience.
Develop a tagline or slogan.
Storyboard your announcement.
If applicable: Rehearse, record and edit.
2020-01-16 09:00:00Z
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/16/learning/lesson-of-the-day-when-the-monkey-chants-are-for-you-a-soccer-stars-view-of-racist-abuse.html
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