Читать книгу No Win Race. A Story of Belonging, Britishness and Sport онлайн

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Yet at the same time, so much of what happened to black athletes on the field of play reflected the issues faced by black people in British society.

Growing up in the eighties, the popular racism being trumpeted by the mainstream media – moral panics about blacks being a threat to cohesion, to jobs, to safety – weaved its way into sport. The crowds were often hostile towards black athletes and commentary was often stereotypical, preoccupied with our physical attributes while constantly underestimating our sporting IQ. Institutional racism also restricted any hope of black people attaining positions of power or commanding the authority to complain about their treatment.

Thatcher told the nation how Britain had given so much to the world. She told the masses how much she loved Britain, wanted to protect Britain, valued Britain. Didn’t doubt it for a second. But she also encouraged a climate where you were either with us (Britain) or against us. She made it a point that to question power and privilege as a root cause of social disparities would only make you an enemy of the state. Not the state’s fault. Your fault. You are free to dream, free to succeed in a cage. Not our fault you can’t break free.