“All lives don’t matter until Black lives matter” says former South African skipper Faf du Plessis

Published on Authored by C to I News Desk

The Black Lives Matter movement has found a new supporter in former South African cricket captain Faf du Plessis. Du Plessis, who resigned from his captaincy earlier this year, wrote in an Instagram post, "I've remained silent, with the intent to listen, but not respond. Slowing down my point of view, but quicker to hear the pain of someone else. I knew that words would be lacking and that my understanding is not close to where it needs to be.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

In the last couple of months I have realized that we must choose our battles. We are surrounded by many injustices in our country that require urgent attention and action to fix them. If we wait only for the ones that attack us personally, we will always live for “my way vs your way” and that way leads us nowhere. So I’ve remained silent, with the intent to listen, but not respond. Slowing down my point of view, but quicker to hear the pain of someone else. I knew that words would be lacking and that my understanding is not close to where it needs to be. I surrender my opinions and take the knee as an intercessor. I acknowledge that South Africa is still hugely divided by racism and it is my personal responsibility to do my best to emphasize, hear the stories, learn and then be part of the solution with my thoughts, words and actions I have gotten it wrong before. Good intentions were failed by a lack of perspective when I said on a platform that – I don’t see colour. In my ignorance I silenced the struggles of others by placing my own view on it. A race problem is a human race problem, if one part of the body hurts ,we all stop, we empathize, we get perspective, we learn and then we tend to the hurting part of the body. So I am saying that all lives don’t matter UNTIL black lives matter. I’m speaking up now, because if I wait to be perfect, I never will. I want to leave a legacy of empathy. The work needs to continue for the change to come and whether we agree or disagree, conversation is the vehicle for change.

A post shared by Faf du plessis (@fafdup) on

He further added, "I surrender my opinions and take the knee as an intercessor. I acknowledge that South Africa is still hugely divided by racism and it is my personal responsibility to do my best to empathise, hear the stories, learn and then be part of the solution with my thoughts, words and actions."

Photo Courtesy : fafdup/Instagram
Photo Courtesy : fafdup/Instagram

Du Plessis, who received a lot of flak for his comment, “We don’t see colour” in January this year, admitted that even though his intentions were good, his lack of perspective and ignorance was something he wasn’t proud of.

"I have gotten it wrong before. Good intentions were failed by a lack of perspective when I said on a platform that I don't see colour. In my ignorance I silenced the struggles of others by placing my own view on it," he said. 

The 36-year-old cricketer concluded by saying, "So I am saying that all lives don't matter UNTIL black lives matter. I'm speaking up now, because if I wait to be perfect, I never will. I want to leave a legacy of empathy."

30 South African players last week said that racism still remained a big factor in the game. In support of the Black Lives Matter movement, the West Indies team is wearing the logo of the movement on their team jersey in the ongoing Test series against England.