An emotional Eddie Betts has made an impassioned plea to Australia regarding racist behaviour.
With racism again rearing its ugly head in recent weeks, Carlton forward Betts has called for Australians to become more aware of their choices while imploring people to educate themselves on the subject.
Following former Adelaide teammate Taylor Walker’s racial comments at a SANFL game, the racial abuse Melbourne’s Kysaiah Pickett copped in Perth and his own dealings with constant racism, Betts has called for change.
“It’s been hard to be honest, it’s been really tough to deal with, especially when it comes to racism,” he said on Fox Footy.
“I’ve been dealing with this my whole life, my mother has, my father has, and it’s tiring.
“I’m sick of it, I’m sick of fighting, it’s draining.
“I’ve been on this show last year pouring my heart out, begging, hoping Australia would listen and it’s hard.
“We need to start having those conversations in the workplace, in the schooling - the only way we’re going to move together as one is we start educating ourselves. I can’t do it, I can’t.
“People sitting on your couches - start those conversations at home, start it with your friends, your families, call out racism when you see it because there’s no room for racism in Australia and we as Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islander people are sick of fighting because.
“We are. We are sick of it because it just keeps happening and happening and happening and happening and I’m tired guys, I honestly am. I said to a lot of the Indigenous boys that it’s getting to me, it really is. And I’ll keep fighting no matter what, no matter how emotional I get, no matter how drained I am, I’ll fight – I’ll fight for my people, I’ll fight for the next generation of young Aboriginal kids that are coming in to play AFL footy, to make this a safe place for us to come and enjoy the game that we love.
“I don’t know how many times, though, that I’ve got to front up to talk about it, fight about it. We need the rest of Australia to stand up, to fight, to stamp it out because there is no room for racism in Australia.”
"There is no room for racism in Australia."
— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) August 10, 2021
Eddie Betts speaks after Taylor Walker incident.
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