Even when he wrote articles for Guardian Australia, or published lengthy Twitter threads, I couldnt shake a certain scepticism. But what they found confronting about Collingwood, Lumumba found comforting a sense of community and an acceptance of differences. After words of warning to Buckley and other leaders, he stood before the team and finally tore off the scab, sharing his personal history, explaining his discomfiture with not only the racist joking but the homophobic use of terms like "poofter", "f****t" and "homo". 84. To @iamlumumba I am truly, unequivocally sorry. That was the 2014 confrontation that was identified as the final broken pillar in Lumumba's 199-game, 10-year career with the Magpies, a career built on strong foundations and during which he became a premiership player, an all-Australian and a long-serving member of the club's leadership group. That causes a lot of damage and halts the progression of society. He also could have been scratching for a living on the streets of Rio de Janeiro's notorious slums.". But when Lumumba went there, you could sense the room raising a collective eyebrow. 'Not only was I dealing with the stress of being an AFL footballer, but that was exacerbated when the club that I thought really supported me and loved me was contributing to that stress by inflicting more pain and punishing me for simply raising genuine issues. They have had many chances to get on the right side of history. "You have to wonder if [his] issue is not with Buckley, but with himself maybe the apology should be [Lumumba] to Buckley, and not the other way round. What was Lumumba's confrontation of the club's culture if not that? No matter where I am in the world, I stand taller when people of African descent say it. I've spoken to some people and I've found different things, the nuances that I had no idea [about]. He later spoke out about his experience of racism at Collingwood, which he said included being given a nickname that is a racial slur for black people. I should have believed you. When I did media, they'd say 'you can talk about this, you can't talk about that', and I'd basically promote the image of the AFL and the football club. [19] This has led to calls for The Project, and hosts Waleed Aly and Peter Helliar, to apologise on-air. To me, Eddie's comments are reflective of common attitudes that we as a society face.". His career spanned over 12 years where he played 223 games and was a member of the Collingwood Football Club's 2010 premiership winning team. "Given the club's inability to come clean, and the way it has attempted to publicly and privately attack my reputation, I cannot accept this 'integrity' process has been proposed in good faith.". At the worst possible time for Lumumba, Collingwood's form nose-dived and the club's atmosphere darkened. I said it was a proud day for Collingwood and I shouldn't have,' he said. He says his name now lies at the heart of his identity, reconnecting him with Africa, giving him strength in a world that has historically abused and undermined his people. Also, my maternal ancestors are native to the Americas, just like many people in Los Angeles. "Central to this, we have all been subjected to centuries of anti-African indoctrination," Lumumba says. "The person who is being hated at the moment is actually Eddie," Buckley told reporters. In his travels through the African diaspora and continent. During an event for Brazil's 'black consciousness' week, he was performing a traditional Kongolese dance. "It's a stark contrast to when I was playing football and being called 'chimp' on a daily basis, isn't it?". Video, 00:00:42Adam Goodes: Rival fans racism made me quit AFL, Chaos at port as thousands rush to leave Sudan, Air strikes pound Sudan capital as truce extended, Suspected IS chief killed in Syria, Turkey says. It got to a point where it made me shudder to hear and read.". On another, it presented a paradoxical vulnerability for Collingwood: what happened if Behrendt, reliant on those driving the supposedly improved atmosphere at the club, still uncovered examples of the toxic, discriminatory and bullying culture Lumumba laid bare? "I always had the mentality that I could upset the club in some way and lose my spot," Lumumba says. "[Lumumba] needs to pull his head in," began one excoriation. Nathan Buckley remains confused by what Heritier Lumumba wants to achieve in the Collingwood premiership player's long-running dispute with his former AFL club. Some said they felt unsafe. Hritier Lumumba (formerly known as Harry O'Brien; [1] born 15 November 1986) is a Brazilian-born Australian former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Collingwood Football Club and Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). "Clearly, most Australian journalists don't understand this. Most of the major players in the controversy were no longer at the club. 'Eddie McGuire's inability to let go of the illusion he's constructed of himself does not serve the club, the code, or the community. The AFL has previously said it is working to stamp out racism in the sport. By his second season, he says the dehumanising "Chimp" nickname took hold. "The entirety of my life's experiences has been defined by me being African, for better and for worse. It was the most powerful gesture in what he sees as a lifelong process of decolonisation. "This is what the Australian media does to people of African descent," Lumumba says. We celebrate what they bring to our game. ', By Now Lumumba was "erratic", "disgruntled", "troubled", "bizarre", "outspoken", "fragile", "rogue", a "sook" and a "destabilising influence" with "serious issues". 00:56 BST 08 Feb 2021. "It's a Kikongo word for leadership.". Collingwood great Tony Shaw demanded Lumumba be ruled out of contention for the following game due to his impertinence. [9], In 2017, the documentary Fair Game was released about Heritier's life and his stories of racism while playing professional football. "Lumumba, to me, sounds like the beating of a drum," he says. "The club is defensive and angry," Caroline Wilson wrote. Happily distant from the AFL world, he now lives in a city where his name is a byword for moral conviction and strength indeed, one that boasts a mural of Patrice Lumumba. "A name is an affirmation that is repeated consistently. To sift through the hundreds of thousands of words written and spoken about Lumumba is to understand his conviction that the AFL, Collingwood and a co-dependent media combined to create the damaging public personas by which he is known: the egotist who craves attention; the shady opportunist looking for a pay-out; the crazy black man with an axe to grind. Too Sensitive. The more I celebrated the greatness of being black and being African, it caused a noticeable reaction from those around me.". As the review progresses, Lumumba anticipates more of the lurid counter-narratives propagated since 2014 by Collingwood's powerful PR machine. Only once could he coax a group of teammates down Smith Street, with its hodgepodge of dive bars and art galleries. [citation needed]. On one hand, it begged the question as to what faults Behrendt was expected to find. "Our industry has been a leader in the country on racism," he said. Ignored were the far more pointed comments preceding: "We find ourselves in a very interesting time, not only for this football club, but for this whole world. [2] He was selected with pick 21 in the 2004 AFL Rookie Draft by Collingwood, and made his debut in Round 18 of 2005 against Fremantle at the MCG. He didnt play by our rules. @iamlumumba . As their final selection in the rookie draft of 2004, he was Collingwood's most expendable player. "Harry O'Brien no longer: Magpie to change surname to Lumumba", "Magpies Harry O'Brien defender a leader in the making", "Clark a Cat, three-way deal sees Varcoe join Magpies", "Heritier Lumumba ready to return for Melbourne in 2017 after concussion ruined 2016", "Lumumba still not training as concussion lingers", "Heritier Lumumba retires from AFL following medical advice over concussion issues", "Lumumba slams Pies as 'racist, sexist boys' club', "Heritier Lumumba Collingwood, documentary, Eddie McGuire, Nathan Buckley", "Hritier Lumumba On White Fragility, White Supremacy, And Waleed Aly", "Waleed Aly 'indifferent' to racism: Heritier Lumumba", "Hritier Lumumba rejects Collingwood's offer to meet over club racism allegations", "Collingwood Crisis Deepens: Two More Players Confirm 'Chimp' Nickname For Hritier Lumumba", "AFL 2020: Lumumba, Heritier Lumumba racism claims Collingwood, Nathan Buckley, Paul Roos, Melbourne, Harry O'Brien, AFL racism", "Collingwood Football Club is guilty of systemic racism, review finds", "Calls row For The Project Hosts To Apologise To Heritier Lumumba On-Air For 'Disgraceful' Coverage", "Media personality apologises after interview with Heritier Lumumba resurfaces", "Former Channel 10 Exec Urges The Project To Explain Missing Hritier Lumumba Clips", "Harry reclaims his birth name: Heritier Lumumba", "Heritier Lumumba: How he shed the game and the name that once defined him", "O'hAilpin, Carlile sign up as multicultural ambassadors", "Gillard names Collingwood star local champion", "Humble Harry recognised for multiculturalism work", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hritier_Lumumba&oldid=1147495829, Collingwood Football Club Premiership players, Australian rules footballers from Western Australia, Australian people of Democratic Republic of the Congo descent, Brazilian people of Democratic Republic of the Congo descent, People educated at Rossmoyne Senior High School, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in Australian English, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2016, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 31 March 2023, at 10:08. On-field, Lumumba confirmed his rise to star status in 2010, when was named an All-Australian and Collingwood broke through for its first premiership in 20 years. "Instead they've doubled down on their denials and attacks. This has been going on for nearly a decade now. Distant from Collingwood and the AFL, far removed from whatever sense of home he once felt in Australia, Lumumba now lives in South Los Angeles. "The documentary was effective, but I thought The Project would be an opportunity to finally put my story forward on a mainstream platform," Lumumba says. Side by side we stand. I felt this profound connection," Lumumba says. Lumumba had been among his harshest critics; on live television, he had schooled McGuire in the basics of racism. Yet word got out, as word has a way of doing at Collingwood, that Lumumba's future was clouded. Mr Lumumba has declined to engage in Collingwood's internal investigation, saying the club should not be investigated by its own officials. Theres always next week. As Greg Baum wrote in The Age yesterday, in Lumumbas voice, there is the remnant of real affection. Now he was "angry", "disgruntled", "disaffected", "dramatic", "unhappy" and "high-maintenance". It hammered home how this sport, and this country, is still unable to properly talk about things with real weight, particularly race and class. Hritier Lumumba (formerly known as Harry O'Brien;[1] born 15 November 1986) is a Brazilian-born Australian former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Collingwood Football Club and Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). "As previously outlined, the club will be sharing publicly the findings of the report but until such time as it can do so will not be making further comment.". It was the moment Lumumba stopped playing peacemaker and called out Collingwood's culture of discrimination by confronting Magpies president Eddie McGuire, the man whose name still symbolises the Collingwood that Lumumba once loved. He "preached to his teammates" with his "histrionics and screaming matches", and an "individualism" that was "hijacking the club agenda". Lumumba's final act at Collingwood would be a stand on behalf of others. Lies appeared about everything from his holiday plans and mental health to his confrontation of issues as serious as suicide and sexual abuse. My name is a symbol of black power and revolution, and ties me to the spirit of great men such as Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali and Patrice Lumumba, the father of Congolese independence, who was martyred in the name of Pan-Africanism.". "Keeping the focus on whether or not the nickname was used has been a distraction from the real problem and from the impact it has had on me.". "I hope I can inspire children in the same way he inspired me," Lumumba says. Lumumba is now less consumed by the bitterness of the world he once inhibited than he is by the richness of the one he returned to. Two hundred metres away, a 33-year-old man and his wife anxiously peered out their window, their one-year-old son playing with a toy truck. The ABC sought responses from Collingwood president Eddie McGuire and coach Nathan Buckley to a series of questions related to Lumumba's experiences at the club. Hritier Lumumba. Those who escaped slavery formed communities throughout Rio's mountainous terrain, called quilombos places of refuge for Africans. "I'm just another Australian kid who wants to play AFL," he told The Herald Sun in 2006. [4] In 2009, he came 4th in the Copeland Trophy. Read about our approach to external linking. The Roman Empire was certainly an equal opportunity oppressor. Harry O'Brien was not my name, and it was a constant reminder that white Australian culture had colonised my identity. Theres nothing to be gained from any of this. Theres always a new hero, a new villain, a new outrage. Today, he uses a one-word description of himself: African. But that's what was asked of an eight-year-old boy who would go on to become a nationally recognised AFL player and lost himself in the process. In Lumumba's time, Collingwood coaches cherry-picked team mottos from the club's history. In December 2013, Lumumba didn't change his name, he corrected it. In telling his story, former Collingwood premiership player Hritier Lumumba hammered home how far Australian rules still has to go in talking about race and class. Played through car windows and chanted by the crowd was the anthem of the uprising, YG and Nipsey Hussle's 'FDT': "F*** Donald Trump!". But, really, it is like any other corporate environment in pursuit of a singular aim, and therefore unable to accommodate anyone who dares to step outside its rigid parameters. He would refer to himself as chimp. Deflect attention away from the underlying problem by evoking the 'crazy black' stereotype.". Hritier Lumumba is a former AFL footballer. [11] He stood up to the racism and continues to do so. Publicly, Buckley said Lumumba and the only other black player on the team, Krakouer, could skip the next weekend's game with the club's support if it was "not within them" to play. It was, in other words, many of the things its footballing namesake was not. In another time, the man achieved fame as a sporting champion in a foreign land an All-Australian footballer, a premiership hero of the Collingwood Football Club. "We grew up as black children who were outsiders in isolated capital cities; our fathers African; Barack was whitewashed to Barry, Hritier to Harry. For years, Collingwood hoped, or assumed, that Hritier Lumumba would simply go away. 'Just dealing with the stresses of being an AFL footballer is enough. Follow our live coverage. For those projecting Collingwood's public front, and a titillated media, it has become an obsession. ", Lumumba says: "His [McLachlan's] response was a template straight from the playbook that many institutions deploy. Imbued with greater purpose and committed to finally drawing a line in the sand, he returned to Collingwood and began his most intense and transformative pre-season training regime yet. Former Collingwood star Hritier Lumumba now lives in South Los Angeles, where he's surrounded by black culture and thought. I could never pinpoint exactly what he actually wanted from Collingwood. The senior staff now distanced themselves from their approval. Lumumba published a book in 2014 called It's Cool to be Conscious, that includes personal stories from his life, both on and off the field. He is portrayed as an outcast.". The United States of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor is no African-American's idea of utopia. Club staff continued to confide in him about their difficulties with the homophobia around them, including an offensive poster allegedly made by a player and hung in a common area. 'Despite the nickname being overtly racist, unfortunately, it was not the worst facet of the interpersonal racism that I encountered during my 10 years at CFC.'. Lumumba says only a few reporters treated him with dignity and respect. From day one, he was also among Collingwood's greatest marketing assets photographed as often as any other Pie, front and centre in advertising campaigns, hosting club videos and commanding the 'Harry's World' section of the Collingwood website. But as far as I'm concerned, it's clear what the club's position is. From that position, Lumumba could easily tune out and switch off. 'It was not systemic racism, as such, we just didn't have the processes to deal with it that we do now. Former Magpies player Simon Buckley said Brazilian-born Heritier Lumumba never complained about his nickname 'Chimp' when he was 'winning flags and getting a kick himself'. In reality, he says it was his only option to shield himself against significant personal attacks. In football, we love to celebrate a great story the Aboriginal footballer recently released from prison, the powerhouse from the Tiwi Islands, the cheeky little bugger snapping goals from insane angles. In the days that followed, they would join the crowds on the streets of LA, demanding an end to the dehumanisation of black lives. "It felt like vultures circling around a carcass," Lumumba says. We make mistakes. Allegations about Lumumba's bad habits have been made. None of the insults could prepare him for the events of 2013. Lumumba, however, returned fire at the laid-back response delivered by McGuire following the report's findings. "A large percentage of African-Americans descend from the Kongo Kingdom," he says. 902. At first he just nods along, briefly glancing towards his father for approval. As in five of the previous six years, his peers elected him to Collingwood's 2013 leadership group. He also freed himself from distractions, investing financially and philosophically in his training and recovery, significantly improving his performance. Andrew Krakouer, Leon Davis, Chris Dawes, Chris Egan, Brent Macaffer and Shae McNamara have all registered public support. (Supplied: Renae Wootson/Milan Wiley) Help keep family & friends informed by sharing this article abc.net.au/news/heritier-lumumba-strength-in-african-culture-collingwood-afl/12820942 In recent years, several players have spoken about racism in Australia's richest and best-attended professional league. The first and most obvious was the catalogue of personal abuses he says he'd weathered at Collingwood racist nicknames, discrimination and jokes that he says proliferated within the club's environment. It wasn't always that way. One thing is certain: nobody lived the Collingwood ideal more earnestly than Hritier Lumumba, taking to heart the club's origin story as a beacon of hope to the impoverished underclasses of Collingwood the gritty inner-northern suburb in which Lumumba alone among Pies players chose to make his home. Lumumba had a year to run on his Collingwood contract at that point. "The outcome of my psilocybin experience was a profound realisation of my obligation to confront the issues at the root of my symptoms.". He says the racist jokes and ideas continued. [29][30] He was also made the ambassador to the Dalai Lama's visit to Australia in June 2011.[31]. Read Australias most-read columnist, the cartoons of the newspaper that bears our countrys name, or wade through social media for five minutes and tell me this is just a football problem. Its harder and more complicated when were dealing with a beloved former club captain. One night, he says he was ambushed by two security guards at Collingwood's training facility and had his parking pass forcibly removed from his hands, trapping him in the carpark until a teammate returned from home to let him out. In both, there is a sense of something lost. When Lumumba was 23, Malthouse labelled him a "future captain". I've been racially discriminated against in the US in ways that I hadn't in Australia, and I'm still adjusting to the racism here. At first, the thing he enjoyed most about living in Collingwood was looking up at the Fitzroy commission flats he'd lived in as a young refugee. VideoThe secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, LGBT troops take love for Eurovision to front line, Why an Indian comedian is challenging fake news rules, What Europe's royals could teach King Charles. ", Adam Goodes: Rival fans racism made me quit AFL. Lumumba says it was eventually used by the club to silence him. [He] will train with the Pies at 10:00am but has been told in no uncertain terms to keep his emotional outbursts in check.". Officially, the Pies cited a floating bone in Lumumba's ankle as the reason for his omission from the team. Theres always a new hero, a new villain, a new outrage. By the end of 2011, every Collingwood player was entering another paradigm: after narrowly missing back-to-back flags, Malthouse honoured his agreement to a coaching succession plan and reluctantly handed the reins to Buckley. In fact, five minutes later, McGuire called Lumumba angrily. Back then, Lumumba kept it in a scrapbook with many like it, reinforcing that his childhood dream was coming true. Lumumba says there was a sting in the tail: he was removed from the leadership group. "On numerous occasions during his employment, the plaintiff was subjected to racial abuse or racially-offensive conduct," the submission said. Fast-forward to a single fortnight of 2014, by which point Lumumba had finally attacked the AFL's myths of equality and tolerance. 'It was painful to watch the club dig itself deeper into delusion and dishonesty at today's press conference,' Lumumba tweeted on Monday night. By 2014, Hritier Lumumba had become the opposite of a great bloke: "Too precious, too sensitive, too much work" said a Herald Sun headline. He was a unique figure in the game, unafraid of standing apart. "You can't turn back from this moment. Hritier Lumumba has condemned Collingwood Football Club and its president, Eddie McGuire, for the response to a report that found the AFL club had a problem with 'systemic racism'. The president regularly touched on these themes on breakfast radio, and no one batted an eyelid. On good days, he wanders down to South Central LA's own Little Africa with his wife Aja and their son, passing the Patrice Lumumba mural and heading for a square where members of the African diaspora gather in a safe and welcoming space. One coping mechanism was an "assimilationist" mindset. In what's been labelled a " controversial new documentary ", SBS's forthcoming series Fair Game provides a firsthand account of former AFL player Hritier Lumumba's search for identity as a Black. He was instrumental in Collingwood's 2010 grand final replay win over St Kilda and kicked a long goal from the boundary line late in the game. The report found the Collingwood Football Club guilty of systemic racism. "No-one spoke to me in relation to this article," Pendlebury tweeted in response. One thing that I have learned in my journey that I will hold to my heart for the rest of my life is that I know what side of history I stand on.".
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