'Public Figures Should Use Their Celebrity Status To Get Across Important Messages': Michael Holding On Racism

Since the death of George Floyd in America in May 2020, Holding has consistently spoken on this subject to bring about change in society.

New Delhi: West Indies former fast-bowler Michael Holding wants more players to come forward and speak out against racism as they have an important platform. He said this during an interview at the Reuters Next conference on Wednesday.

Holding said it was imperative that respected celebrities use their celebrity status to send a message against racism. Since the death of George Floyd in America in May 2020, Holding has consistently spoken on this subject to bring about change in society. The 'Black Lives Matter' movement went global due to Floyd's death.

"If people who have a platform and who are able to reach out and get people to listen and people to understand say nothing, then who will?" Holding asked.

"There are sportspeople who are well known throughout the entire world. If they get up and say something, people around the world will want to hear what they have to say and will want to try to understand what they had to say.

"And that's the reason why people with a platform, people with a name, people that are recognised all over the world, need to speak up about things that affect them and affect the world."

Holding said education has ensured that partisanship is wrong and now requires urgent review, which governments need to lead.

"The history of mankind has not been taught, what has been taught is what suits our particular narrative. And that narrative is white superiority. Everything taught, even in Africa, in the Caribbean, where I'm from, highlights what white folks have done.

"But what about what people of colour have done? They don't teach that. And that is why I highlighted in my book, so many discoveries, so many innovations, so many things that people of colour have done, that they need to teach.

"People must recognise that it's all folks from different denominations and from different sectors and different parts of the world have done great things."