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
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?
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the lack of representation of black individuals in leadership roles across various sectors, questioning why sports should be an exception.
John Barnes addresses the systemic lack of black representation in leadership positions within various industries, such as journalism and politics, and emphasizes that football, like any other field, should not be immune to this disparity. This statement serves as a call for awareness and action towards increasing diversity and equality in all sectors, particularly in sports where visibility is high.
Themes
RepresentationDiversityEqualityLeadershipSportsSystemicInclusion
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in discussions about the representation of minorities in sports during a panel on diversity.
More from John Barnes
All quotes βWhen 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
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.
John BarnesRead
There wasn't a game in the Eighties when you didn't get racial abuse as a black player.
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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