Amid the continued protests in the wake of the unjust killing of George Floyd, Manchester City midfielder Raheem Sterling has called racism the only disease currently plaguing mankind.
Sterling has given his backing to the Black Lives Matter movement as thousands of people took to the streets during the weekend to protest in the United Kingdom.
The protests took place in London, Glasgow, Bristol, and Edinburg on Sunday, June 7, 2020, and Sterling has vowed to speak out in the hope that it would contribute to lasting change.
Voicing his thoughts on BBC Newsnight, Sterling said:
I know this might sound a little bit cheesy but the only disease right now is the racism that we are fighting. This is the most important thing at this moment in time because this is something that is happening for years and years. Just like the pandemic, we want to find a solution to stop it.
At the same time, this is what all these protesters are doing. They are trying to find a solution and a way to stop the injustice they are seeing, and they are fighting for their cause. As long as they are doing it peacefully and safely and not hurting anybody and not breaking into any stores, they continue to protest in this peaceful way.”
Sterling had previously called out the British media for its perception of black players, taking a central position in the fight against racism in both local and international games.
He added:
There’s only so much communities and other backgrounds can take – especially black people. It’s been going on for hundreds of years and people are tired and people are ready for change. This is something that needs more than just talking. We need to actually implement change and highlight the places that do need changes.
But this is something that I myself will continue to do, and spark these debates and get people in my industry looking at themselves and thinking what they can do to give people an equal chance in this country.”
