Brathwaite says legislation needed to battle racism, taking a knee is not enough

Taking a knee is not enough and legislative change is very much needed to battle racism in society, claims West Indies all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite.

The now popular gesture, first promoted among athletes by American football quarterback Colin Kaepernick, has become widely adopted by many people to protest racial injustice following the murder of George Floyd, a Black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25.

Cricket - ICC Cricket World Cup - Sri Lanka v West Indies - Emirates Riverside, Chester-Le-Street, Britain - July 1, 2019 West Indies' Carlos Brathwaite reacts after losing his wicket. Image credit Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith

“Taking a knee in isolation or wearing a badge in isolation is not enough,” Brathwaite told BBC’s ‘Stumped’ programme. “For me it’s just cosmetic - that may ruffle a few feathers.”

England just announced that it will join West Indies in wearing a “Black Lives Matter” logo on their shirts during the three-match test series beginning in Southampton on Wednesday.

“The biggest change needs to be legislative and needs to be the reprogramming of the wider society,” he denounced.

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As Urban Kapital reported on Monday, West Indies captain Jason Holder has demanded racism to be treated as seriously as doping and match-fixing in cricket.

Former captains Darren Sammy and Chris Gayle also declared last month that they have experienced racist abuse firsthand, and threw their weight behind the Black Lives Matters campaign.