Why Colour matters...

I know some of you may view this as a highly controversial topic, however in my opinion, it is a NECESSARY conversation. Hence, if it makes you uncomfortable to speak about this, you are a part of the problem and most likely, need to check your privilege.

In South Africa and South African cricket, it makes zero sense to say “keep politics out of sport” or “colour doesn’t matter”. Please, please, take a look at South Africa’s history. Take a look at the history of sport in South Africa, and then ask yourself if it is possible to “keep politics out of sport”. South African cricket, for decades, was subject to following Apartheid policy, keeping Black, Indian and Coloured South Africans out of the game. Forget the physical exclusion, I don’t think people realize the psychological impacts of the exclusion on Black, Indian and Coloured cricketers – imagine feeling inadequate? Imagine feeling that, because of your skin colour, you will never be enough? Because of your skin colour, you will never represent the Proteas? You will never play the game you love at national level, because of Apartheid?

At this stage, to say “colour doesn’t matter”, is simply pure ignorance. To not see colour, is to reject the lived experiences of people that have suffered racial discrimination for centuries. Only once we see “colour”, can we find solutions to achieve equality.

To be continued...