Uncle Toms and Coconuts - racism in sport

Gentlemen, with respect, it's not just about you. The point of nailing those who utter such sledges is not just to ensure that Aboriginal players are protected from racist nastiness - it is to make sure that all Australians understand they are in a culture where this is no longer acceptable.

Spot on Peter.

I also observed with interest, former Indigenous international Rugby League player, captain and coach, Arthur Beetson’s public comments when he defended his former Queensland State of Origin coach and now president of the Toowoomba Sports Ground Trust, John McDonald, in the court cases against me over the retention of the E.S. Nigger Brown Stand. On July 13, 1999 Beetson, in reference to the offensiveness of the word “Nigger”, was quoted in The Toowoomba Chronicle:

“I just can’t believe it.” Mr Beetson said yesterday. “I have heard about it and I’m absolutely amazed. I don’t know what’s going on in the world. I don’t have a problem with it and when I read about it I found it quite laughable.

"But this whole thing is just stupid, that was the bloke’s name.”

He said some members of the Aboriginal community “had lost the plot”.

“I can only think they have a lot of spare time on their hands. I think you could ask anyone with Aboriginal blood in them and they wouldn’t have a problem with it I’ve got mates with nicknames like Coon and things like that and they don’t worry. Soon I won’t be able to call them anything.”

While our Indigenous international rugby league greats try their hardest to appease their white buddies, respected community leader Normella Duncan was quoted in The Toowoomba Chronicle  (24/6/2005) with comments that racism was rife in junior rugby league in Toowoomba. Mrs Duncan said she believed racism in junior league was going unpunished. She cited the fact that two players submitted letters stating they were racially abused during the ill-fated Souths-Newtown Under 16 game in May.

The players were suspended for the rest of the season, but she said officials had not dealt with the players’ claims of racial abuse in the match. On the local television station recently Mrs Duncan said the junior league players retaliated during the controversial game because they were sick of being called “monkeys, coons and niggers”.

I was in shock when John McDonald, given his history with the “N” word, said publicly that he wanted to mediate between the Junior Rugby League Committee and the boys in their dispute.

The fact John McDonald is chairman of the Australian Rugby League as well as the International Board of Rugby League, gives me cause for concern about the rugby league hierarchy’s ability to address the growing problem of racism.

The Australian Football League is also having problems of their own, especially after the Friday, July 15, night game. Football commentator Rex Hunt is reported to have made a racial slur against Collingwood forward Leon Davis, that "Neon Leon hasn't lit up tonight, he's as black as a dog's ..." during the Magpies' match against Essendon. Davis considered legal action.

And still it goes on.

Dean Widders and Leon Davis should be congratulated in making their strong and courageous stance against racism in sport and I guess inadvertently reminding us that people are not born racist but are a product of the society in which they live.

Unfortunately every suburb and town has their fair share of Uncle Toms and Coconuts living among those who condone racist activities and while I won’t say that the above-mentioned people fit that category - I will say “If the shoe fits, wear it”.