Together we can all win, divided we all lose

On Friday of last week, BDO held a BLM Consulting Group’s Open Forum on ‘Racial abuse of black football players' to discuss our people's feelings and emotions in the aftermath of the Euro 2020 Final; some of our colleagues had also been racially abused due to the game & the below is a BDO internal post that I thought it was important to post externally as well.

Last Sunday evening, like many of you, I watched England lose a game of football. I was disappointed that a young, likeable and multi-cultural England team would not (yet) be able to lift a trophy. I really felt for the England players that had missed their kicks but also mused how our team had outperformed expectations, would surely improve by next year’s World Cup and had given me, my family and friends & their country much to celebrate after the protracted lows of the pandemic.

I don’t Tweet (nor Yammer much), but I flicked onto Twitter on Monday morning to gauge the mood of England fans up and down the country. I initially saw what I expected to see: forthright opinions of why we dropped deep so early, why Southgate didn’t do this or that and the sequencing of the penalty takers. I then realised there was reference to Tweets directed at our 3 English players who missed their penalties.

I had been na?ve. I had thought about the experience of previous players that had missed penalties in high profile games and the league clubs the 3 English players represent but I hadn’t given any thought to the backlash due to their ethnicity. I was dismayed as each of Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka had been brave enough to make the lonely 2-way walk in front of thousands at Wembley and millions of viewers in their country and around the world. I don’t mind admitting that I sometimes get nervous speaking to ‘large’ audience on Teams calls and will definitely have done the presenting equivalent of ‘blasting over the bar’ on a couple of occasions. Is there any of us that has not scuffed a proverbial kick when doing something that we are specialists in and practise every day?

Next, I saw Paul Eagland’s Yammer post, referencing the match and some of the disgraceful racial abuse that some of our England players had faced – and subsequently an internal invite to our BLM Consulting Group’s Open Forum on ‘Racial abuse of black football players’ for Friday lunchtime. The invite included details for various helplines.

By Tuesday I had caught up with my PA, Carina, and we spoke about how each time a black English player came up to take their spot kick, she, her family members and many of her friends were all too aware & scared that if the players missed they would be vilified based on their skin colour. Only if they scored their efforts would be lauded.

Over the week, I followed the story in the news and read articles and at one point was uplifted to see the number of people who had gathered at the mural of Marcus Rashford in Manchester and concealed graffiti with their positive messages of support. I read each one of Marcus, Jadon and Bukayo’s statements that were issued and felt moved by their sentiments. Whilst I understood why they included apologies, I felt sad they had to in view of their exceptional contributions on and off the pitch. I felt a sense of shame that they had been abused for doing their best for their country, providing us all with such enjoyment and hoped they felt the love and support that all fair-minded people had expressed.

Then Friday arrived and I, alongside a couple of hundred other BDO colleagues, dialled into the open forum to discuss the racial abuse of black football players. I wish I had the ability to convey to you in words how eloquently and passionately each of the contributors to the discussion spoke.

The session was chaired by Dalton Brooks and given his skills of hosting the discussion (and others that have preceded) I am genuinely worried that we may lose him to ‘Question Time’. I urge you all to view and listen to the forum once the recording is posted internally, as it was simultaneously heartbreaking and inspiring to hear from the speakers. It became clear that it was not only our English footballers that had received abuse related to the game, but also some of our colleagues. Karen and Divyam were two of our colleagues who spoke of the despicable abuse they had received and we listened to how both have a sense of ambivalence about how they can genuinely feel at home living in this country. Others of our colleagues spoke and rhetorically posed how long they have to put up with racial injustice and added they don’t feel our government are listening and demonstrating clear enough commitment.

Friday’s discussion would have been impactful enough on me, but?my 17 year old daughter, Aiko, was doing work experience (which for this hour became a life experience) and listened alongside me. I truly felt an overwhelming responsibility to my colleagues, my daughters and their generation to help bring about change. As we listened, Aiko asked if I was feeling ‘ok’ a couple of times when I tried to mask a sniffle which I unconvincingly tried to pass off as a runny nose. It was humbling to follow the conversation, and I thank everyone for sharing their views so powerfully; it had to be heard and I am proud that we have a forum for them to be shared.

Over the weekend I spoke to Aiko about what I can do to make a difference; I will discuss with Carina in our catch up today as well. I will contribute further, and welcome suggestions, but here are 3 immediate ideas for my week ahead:

1. The Expat Academy article that I have been procrastinating writing (extended deadline next Friday) will now be on the changed subject of diversity and inclusion in global mobility and why this is so important for responsible corporates
2. At the first in-person Expat Academy Sponsors meeting for 16 months that I attended this week, I raised with my industry peers what we can do together to drive more quickly the diversity and inclusion agenda
3. I will also post my comments expressed here on LinkedIn and ask my contacts what actions we can take together to accelerate change towards racial equality

I know that separately Hamid – our BAME partner sponsor - has already been speaking to some of my other partners and others involved in Friday’s forum about some wider follow up which will no doubt be shared soon.

Of course it is a shame that England lost a game of football. But the last week, and most poignantly listening to my colleagues last Friday, shows the bigger win for us all will be when Karen, Divyam, Marcus, Jadon, Bukayo and so many others can be treated with the appropriate level of unconditional respect and gratitude as everyone else living and contributing to this country. Whether anyone steps up and scores or steps up and misses, together we can all win but divided we will all lose.