Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw takes stand against racist abuse

Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw doing the Black Power salute. Image from BBC sport.

Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw, Manchester City’s top goal scorer, is being celebrated by fans for her Black Power salute in a match against Liverpool last weekend. Shaw raised her first and lowered her head after scoring the opening goal of the match in the 30th minute.

The meaningful gesture came in response to racist and misogynistic abuse that Shaw suffered following City’s loss to Arsenal in the WSL. Due to the abuse she received, Shaw then pulled out of the League Cup Semi-Final against Arsenal in order to protect her mental health. She scored 2 goals in her return to the WSL on Sunday.

The celebration was poignant, and fans across the WSL have shown their support for Shaw and their condemnation for the racism and misogyny she sadly experienced. A little Liverpool fan was pictured at the Joie stadium with a sign that said, “racism is not welcome in football.”

Liverpool fan holding up a sign in support. Image from BBC sport.

Fellow City forward Lauren Hemp called Shaw’s use of the gesture “incredible.”

Shaw was also supported by City coach Gareth Taylor, who called the move “powerful” in a post-match interview. “She's a proud Black woman and where she is from means a lot to her. We will always support her, and the reaction of the crowd meant a lot to her,” Taylor continued.

Within the sporting world, the Black Power salute came to prominence in the 1968 Olympics when American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos used it to take a stand against the racism they were experiencing.

Samuel Okafor, chief executive of anti-discrimination organisation Kick It Out, said that abuse in English football has “reached a crisis point.” When speaking with BBC Sport, Okafor said “it is absolutely shocking, and that's just one of a number of examples we see both online and in stadiums.” The comments were made in response to the abuse Shaw experienced, as well as the “appalling” incidents that are happening across men’s and women’s football.

This comes at a pivotal time for diversity and equality within the game as the Football Governance Bill is set to be enacted into law in the coming months. The Bill, which will make clubs exemplify the action they are taking towards further inclusion and diversity, is a “big step towards transparency in the game.”

Constancy Football stands with Khadija and the Kick It Out campaign. It is important that as the women’s game grows, it is continually evident that racism and misogyny has no place within the game.