Throughout the past month, pupils at County Bridge Primary School and Whetstone Field Primary School were joined by several Walsall FC first-team stars in order to discuss Black History Month and the importance of values such as: acceptance and diversity.
Brandon Comley and Daniel Kanu first met with the children at County Bridge Primary School, engaging in a Q&A assembly. They spoke openly about the challenges they have faced as black footballers both on and off the pitch and how they feel we should tackle these issues.
The pair also discussed the importance of being proud of their upbringing, talking about their roots in Montserrat and Sierra Leone and being able to represent their homelands through football.
They then both got involved in an action packed practical game with Year 5, topping off a successful afternoon at County Bridge.
“Black History Month is very important to me as it’s a time that I can reflect on those who stood before me for what was right and for equality in terms of racial discrimination towards black people. It’s really important for me to be able to reflect on the people who fought so hard and to honour them with a month”, Kanu said.
“As a young player, I can only encourage support towards the EFL’s Together Against Racism campaign, because throughout my short career I haven’t had any racial comments made towards me and I think it’s down to these sorts of projects where they really push the anti-racism side of it.
“I’m very glad that they do run campaigns like this because I speak to older players in my team and they all have a story. I’m growing up in a generation where we’re standing up for what’s right and equality amongst all races.”
The following week, Jamille Matt and Vincent Harper took a trip to Whetstone Field Primary School and got involved with one of the school’s Premier League Primary Stars sessions, led by Walsall FC Foundation staff.
This session allowed the children to hear examples of racist discrimination and discuss how they feel is best to challenge it, sparking thoughtful and engaging conversations.
Jamille and Vincent engaged with the children and offered their advice on a variety of topics, covering aspects from racist comments and prejudice, to their life as professional footballers.
Saddlers captain Jamille Matt explained: “I think we learn about all different types of history, so having black history thrown in there is very important, to have that diversity of thought. I think you have to learn from different cultures to realise true equality and a lot of times racism comes from a place of not knowing or not understanding.
“Being able to have the education of topics like Black History Month through the Premier League and EFL, it always filters down. There’s a lot of children who watch football or will see the news so having these initiatives and these campaigns help educate the children and education is always the biggest thing in these areas.”
Premier League Primary Stars Officer, Billy Cartwright, led both sessions at County Bridge and Whetstone.
He said: “We play a vital role in educating the children in such an important topic through learning about inclusivity and diversity. By doing this we provide a safe and interactive environment for children to learn about societal issues and how to combat them.
“Having the players engage with the children offers them a different perspective, allowing them to act as role models for the future generations both on and off the pitch.”
Thank you to all four players for coming down and helping create meaningful moments of reflection and understanding for the children.
