“Because He Is Black”

This is the story of a 19 year old young man, born to Ghanaian parents, raised by an Italian family.

In case you have never heard of Mario Balotelli, he is an accomplished soccer player for the soccer club known as Internazionale in Italy.

This article, however, is not about his accomplishments, his technical skill or his love for the game.

From The Canadian Press:

Mario Balotelli endures abuse that no 19-year-old should suffer – for no other reason than because he is black.There is the ugly graffiti on walls leading to the San Siro stadium, where the Inter Milan striker plays. “Non sei un vero Italiano, sei un Africano nero,” it says. Translation: “You are not a true Italian, you are a black African.”

There are the unprintable racist chants and vicious boos he hears when he plays, and which live on even after matches are over in videos on the Internet. There was the time in Rome last June when, his sister says, hooligans threatened him and hurled a bunch of bananas into the bar where Balotelli was relaxing with fellow players from Italy’s under-21 squad, prompting the owner to call the police.

Americans don’t often consider racism beyond the borders of their own country- it is global; Balotelli’s story is one example.

As if it weren’t bad enough to be taunted, teased and threatened just for playing the sport her loves, a few weeks ago Balotelli received another blow.

In response to everything that has happened to and around him based on race, the Italian League handed down a penalty…against Balotelli.  Again, the CP:

A week ago in Verona, in a match Inter won thanks to Balotelli’s lone goal, he again heard insults and boos, directed, he said, both at himself and Luciano of Brazil, who also is black. In response, Balotelli mocked the crowd by ironically applauding when he was substituted and by saying in a post-match TV interview that “the fans are more and more sickening.”

The Italian league’s fine followed the next day.

It reminds me of when I was a little girl.  I went to an all-white grade school and it was never a cake walk.  Kids were always doing things, and saying things.  I learned early on what I could let roll off my back, and what I wouldn’t stand for.  There comes a point in time where one tires of staying silent or turning the other cheek.  When racism and hatred strike, within us, we know we have the right to be treated with dignity and respect- there is not question, there is no debate.

In the fourth grade a boy called my dad a nigger lover; my dad is White and my mom is Black.  It wasn’t one of those things to easily roll off my back and I smacked that boy on the side of his head- a good, strong, solid fwap! to the side of his head.  I don’t know how it was for him, but it was great for me.

I got in major trouble at school.  And he…didn’t.  He called my dad a nigger lover in front of witnesses.  But I was the one who had to clean the cafeteria after lunch for a week.  Why?  The principal that I failed to control myself in the moment, and that hitting him was wrong.

I think whether it was wrong is debatable.  They didn’t care.  There were instances like that all the time growning up.

It’s easier for the Italian League to throw this back on Balotelli, because they have their own internalized race issues, and frankly, because they don’t know what to do.  I’m sure many of them feel back for what’s happening and want it to stop- but rather than stepping in they’re passing the buck (more like dropping the boulder) on Balotelli.

Perhaps they could ask him to stop being Black.