Racism and the World CupRandy Shawbyline‚ Jul. 02‚ 2006Prior to France’s upset of Brazil, right-wing Frenchmen had criticized the team for having too many black players. Previously, Spanish fans had shouted racist monkey chants at the African-dominated French team. Now, with France pulling off the upset of the Cup, the team’s success is being framed as a victory against racism. But how different is African immigrants leading France to success from African-American Jessie Owen’s famous rebuff to Aryan superiority in the 1936 Berlin Olympics? In both cases athletic success is being used to cover up the ongoing racial problems of the player’s host nations. |