Black team-mates’ ‘harrowing’ stories helped me understand struggle, says Jess Fishlock
Written by News on 04/07/2020
OL Reign and Wales midfielder Jess Fishlock says listening to “harrowing” stories from her black team-mates has helped her learn and understand the Black Lives Matter movement.
A large number of National Women’s Soccer League players (NWSL) took a knee during the American national anthem last weekend as the season kicked off following the coronavirus pandemic.
Fishlock says she was proud to kneel alongside her OL Reign team-mates and believes athletes in the United States can affect change if they strong enough to use their voice.
“Being here and witnessing it, feeling it first hand, has probably been one of the most incredible times from a social aspect that I have probably [ever] been involved in,” she told The Women’s Football Show.
“We have black players and players of colour in our team, as a group we actually sat down and they have been really open in telling their stories, the experiences of their lives growing up in American and being black.
“Honestly I cannot even put into words what that did for me as a person. Listening to their stories is quite harrowing really, if you don’t do that you will never know, learn, understand or want to make change.
“I think one of the more important things you can do is listen, hear them and then actively go and make the change.
“Being here in American and witnessing this, I’m really proud because of the athletes here do have a very strong voice and they are not afraid to use it, that has been very visible.”
Watch the Women’s Football Show from 9am on Sunday on Sky Sports Football.
(c) Sky Sports 2020: Black team-mates’ ‘harrowing’ stories helped me understand struggle, says Jess Fishlock
