In May 2023, the world witnessed yet another stark reminder of racism’s persistence in sports. During a match at Valencia’s Mestalla Stadium, Brazilian soccer star Vinicius Júnior was subjected to racist chants, an incident that drew international condemnation. While authorities scrambled to address the immediate fallout, the episode raised deeper questions: Why does racism thrive in sports, a realm supposedly built on meritocracy and unity? How do fans, institutions, and cultural contexts perpetuate these inequalities?
Recent research reveals a web of structural and cultural factors that keep racism entrenched in sports. By analyzing fan attitudes, leadership practices, and digital discourse, studies from the UK, Australia, and China uncover uncomfortable truths about symbolic gestures, organizational inertia, and cultural prejudices.
The Illusion of Progress: “Taking the Knee” and Its Critics
“Taking the knee” emerged as a powerful symbol of anti-racism during the global Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. Yet, the gesture’s impact has been increasingly questioned. In a 2022 survey of 1,001 UK soccer fans, 34.8% supported the continuation of the act, while 65.2% opposed it. Critics argued that it had become performative, with one fan remarking, “What change has it actually made? We need action, not continuous rituals.”
This frustration stems from the perception that symbolic actions overshadow substantive efforts. Campaigns like “Kick It Out” have raised awareness, but they’ve failed to eradicate racism. Governing bodies—such as FIFA—impose fines as low as CHF 30,000 for racist incidents, penalties widely seen as insufficient. Researchers, including Kevin Dixon and his colleagues from the UK, emphasize that gestures without systemic change amount to “window dressing”, masking the deeper failures of sports organizations.
Resistance to Diversity: Behind the Scenes of Sports Organizations
While fans often take the spotlight in discussions of racism, the role of sports organizations is equally critical. A 2020 study by researchers from Australia’s Victoria University uncovered six ways in which leaders resist diversity: speech acts, moral boundary work, in-group essentialism, denial or silencing, self-victimization, and bodily inscription. These subtle but effective strategies allow leaders to maintain the status quo while outwardly endorsing inclusivity.
For example, a soccer club volunteer in Australia claimed, “We’re a diverse club,” yet struggled to provide concrete evidence of this diversity. Such statements exemplify “color-blind” rhetoric, which minimizes systemic inequities by framing diversity as a natural occurrence rather than a deliberate goal. Similarly, clubs often point to token initiatives—like dedicating one training night for disability teams—while neglecting broader structural changes.
This resistance isn’t confined to Australia. Globally, sports organizations prioritize maintaining power dynamics over genuine inclusion. By framing diversity as a cosmetic or secondary concern, they sidestep meaningful reforms that could disrupt entrenched hierarchies.
Love the Game, Hate the Movement: China’s Complex Relationship with BLM
In China, basketball enjoys immense popularity, with the NBA commanding a massive fanbase. Yet, this admiration for the sport often clashes with racial prejudices. A 2022 study analyzed 1,481 posts on the Chinese sports platform Hupu, focusing on LeBron James’s support for Black Lives Matter. While James’s athletic prowess was widely praised, his activism drew criticism. Only 6.9% of posts supported BLM, while 25.2% opposed it.
Chinese researchers link this resistance to deep-seated historical and cultural factors. Anti-Black sentiments in China are rooted in a blend of colonial-era racial hierarchies and contemporary Han nationalism. Social media amplifies these prejudices, with misinformation linking Black communities to disease and crime. This context underscores how racism in sports is both a reflection and a reinforcement of broader societal biases.
Despite these challenges, basketball’s global nature offers a unique opportunity for cross-cultural dialogue. However, without addressing the underlying narratives that fuel prejudice, gestures like BLM activism risk being dismissed or misunderstood.
Toward Genuine Change: From Gestures to Action
The persistence of racism in sports—from UK soccer pitches to Chinese basketball forums—reveals a common thread: symbolic gestures are insufficient. To dismantle systemic inequities, fans, leaders, and institutions must embrace bold, tangible actions.
In the UK, addressing leadership disparities is crucial. Despite Black and minority ethnic (BME) players comprising 25% of the Premier League, only 4.4% of coaches and managers are from BME backgrounds. Implementing policies like the Rooney Rule, which mandates interviewing minority candidates for leadership roles, could help bridge this gap.
Australia’s sports clubs must go beyond token diversity initiatives. This means investing in inclusive infrastructure, diversifying leadership, and fostering cultures that actively challenge discrimination. Similarly, Chinese sports fandom must confront its nationalist narratives and embrace the NBA’s potential as a bridge for cultural understanding.
The stakes are high. Sports have the power to unite and inspire, but they also reflect the inequalities of the societies they inhabit. The path to inclusivity requires more than conversation; it demands systemic reform, accountability, and the courage to confront uncomfortable truths. As the Vinicius Júnior incident reminded us, the fight against racism in sports is far from over. The time for decisive action is now.
Curious for more? Dig deeper into the science of our references:
Dixon, K., Cashmore, E. and Cleland, J., 2023. ‘A little less conversation’: an exploration of soccer fan attitudes towards ‘the knee’protest and the anti-racism message. Soccer & Society, 24(5), pp.698-711.
Peng, A.Y., Kuang, X. and Hou, J., 2022. Love NBA, hate BLM: Racism in China’s sports fandom. International Journal of Communication, 16, pp.3133-3153.
Spaaij, R., Knoppers, A. and Jeanes, R., 2020. “We want more diversity but…”: Resisting diversity in recreational sports clubs. Sport management review, 23(3), pp.363-373.
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