Don Goodman: We all have to help fight racism

The former Albion, Wolves and Walsall star hopes BAME people will be treated with ‘respect and dignity’ after the death of George Floyd while in police custody in America.

There have been protests worldwide following Floyd’s tragic passing while locally, Albion have condemned racism on social media, Wolves’ players have taken a knee and Walsall have pledged their support to the Black Lives Matter movement.

Villa defender Tyrone Mings attended a protest in Birmingham last week, too, and Goodman said: “Everybody can play a part – black, white, it does not matter.

“Everybody can play a part by coming together and being respectful of each other’s culture and religion and background, by treating people with respect and with dignity.

“The difference this time is I can’t see it just withering out to nothing. That’s what has happened in the past. We have been outraged at certain things, and then a few weeks later it’s gone.

“This one will not get brushed away very quickly, if ever.

“I think there is an opportunity here for George Floyd’s life to mean something.

"I know that’s a really strong thing to say, but I think everybody will understand what I’m talking about in terms of if his death is the thing which worldwide brings people together and makes people more understanding, compassionate and caring, it will hopefully bring a small crumb of comfort to his family.

“I’ll wait to see what the next step is, in terms of how we can make things better as a collective. But we need leadership and guidance from people in power in order to make those steps. It is a collective responsibility not to allow this to become yesterday’s news.

“We have to strike while the iron is hot, make the necessary changes and make the world a better place.”

Goodman, whose father emigrated from the Caribbean to provide a better life for himself and his family, is hoping racism can now finally start to be eliminated from football and society as a whole.

“The thing is that we don’t seem to be moving forward. That is the biggest thing,” he said.

“What I would say is that I totally condemn the violent protests and the looting. People doing that are freeloading. They’re riding on the coattails of a tragedy to justify thuggery and robbery.

“We’ve all known (racism) has been there, but not enough people of influence have got on board and wanted to do something. It’s taken a remarkable tragedy, a man to lose his life, to kickstart – for want of a better expression – some reaction.

“My passion, football, we are one of the worst. We haven’t kept our house in order. When you let Bulgaria do that last year (racially abusing England players), what did they get, a fine? These punishments are not deterring – there is no deterrent for racism.

“Ultimately, racism is ignorance, a lack of education. I have always said in my life that no human being is born a racist. It’s the environment which they grow up in or gravitate towards.

“And that’s not just racism, it’s good people or bad people. I always say to my children there’s good and bad police, good and bad black people, and good and bad white people.

“The oppression you see in the United States, thankfully, is not on the same scale here, but nevertheless it certainly does go on.”

Goodman added: “We can only hope the people with the power to do something about it start setting some wheels in motion, and laying some plans down for what we are going to do about it.”