As I've been saying for decades, as long as racism exists in society, it will exist in all facets of society. Until we eradicate it from society, football will be like any other industry.
John BarnesRead
What I say about myself, black footballers or black pop stars is that we have been 'elevated out of blackness.' Because when people see us, they don't see us as being black. These are the issues that we should address.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote discusses perceptions of race and identity, highlighting how success can sometimes obscure one's racial identity.
John Barnes reflects on the experiences of black individuals in prominent fields such as sports and music, suggesting that their success leads to a perception that transcends their racial identity. He argues that while this 'elevation' can be seen as progress, it also obscures the ongoing racial issues that still need to be addressed, emphasizing the importance of acknowledging and tackling these challenges rather than ignoring them.
Themes
IdentityRacePerceptionElevationSuccess
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about representation in media, one might use this quote to illustrate the complexity of racial identity in successful individuals.
More from John Barnes
All quotes →When you talk about kicking racism out of football, people automatically assume you are talking about on the terraces and on the football field. But all racists have to do is keep their mouth shut for 90 minutes and they're fine.
John BarnesRead
There wasn't a game in the Eighties when you didn't get racial abuse as a black player.
John BarnesRead
How many black people are there in the higher echelons of any industry? We can talk about journalism, we can talk about politics. So why should football be any different?
John BarnesRead
There are so many intelligent former black players, guys like Luther Blissett and Cyrille Regis, who never got a chance to become a top manager or a top coach because of the perception that surrounds people who look like them. They are black - which, for many, means they are good athletes but incapable of being anything above and beyond that.
John BarnesRead
The only fight worth fighting is to give all children equal opportunities regardless of race or gender, to judge individuals on their qualities and not their backgrounds. The victory won't come when nobody feels able to voice racist abuse, but when nobody thinks of doing so in the first place.
John BarnesRead
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