This archive report was first published on 4 June 2020.
On June 4, 2020, Bayern Munich's Germany defender Jerome Boateng spoke out against the US police killing of George Floyd, calling on more famous white sportspeople to add their voices to the chorus of outrage.
Floyd's death, which occurred after a white policeman kneeled on his neck for several minutes, has sparked eight days of protests in US cities, with some turning violent amid accusations of further police brutality against demonstrators.
Boateng, whose father is from Ghana, emphasized the importance of using their platform to speak out against systemic racism and police brutality in the United States.
“Our voices carry, we have a platform and we touch many people,” Boateng told Deutsche Welle radio. “All white sportspeople who don’t speak out are obviously not racists, but of course it is desirable that they also use their notoriety for this cause. Many do it, but I think we can do much more.”
Boateng also stressed the need for a deeper message to be sent, beyond the world of social media, and suggested that sportspeople could use their influence to promote integration projects and education about racism in schools.
