Recently, an African player on contract with FC Brussels (Belgium) walked out on his team after being racially abused by the club President, Johan Vermeersch. Something about an African player must almost always conjure up images of “trees and bananas” by these racists.

But this ain’t an isolated incident. This kinda crap happens every week. This is reality. Racism is well and alive, in almost every country in Europe, sadly.

When trying to research links of other incidents, I was overwhelmed by the enormous amount of “isolated incidents”. From countries like Italy, Spain, Germany, Holland, Belgium and even England and more, I read a newsarticle about a black or asian player getting racially abused. I figure it’s pointless to list these incidents on this blog, since there are so fucking many.

Racism infuriates me. Not the soft-jokes about differences in race, but the real hatred-infested racism. The kind of racism spurred by those holding up the swastika flag. (http://www.dw-world.de/image/0,,1798809_1,00.jpg). The kind that throw banana projectiles onto the field. The kind that purposely crush the insides of another human being. The kind who think their kind is superior over others.

But unfortunately, this is reality. Not just on the soccer field. But also in our homes and community. Racism, despite so much efforts to quell and destroy it, thrives lively. And it’s everyone’s fault, but noone to blame.

So what can we do about it?

Organizational antiracism campaigns have been there for a long time advocating anti-racism. KickitOut.org has been here for over 10 years. The UEFA and FARE (Football Against Racism in Europe) teamed up to publish a guide that deals with racism on the field. More ground-breakingly, players have started to come out and voice their support against racism. Players of grand stature like T.Henry, Ronaldinho, RvN, Rio came together with backing from Nike to launch the Stand Up Speak Up antiracism campaign. Watching the collective collaboration of these players on the Stand Up Speak Up commercial still gives me chills up my spine for being so silently powerful.

But is that enough to stop a racist’s bigotry?

Maybe, or maybe not. There’s a growing consensus that not enough is being done. Action, not words, say many. But what kind of actions? Fight violence with more violence? Surely not. The angle of the Stand Up Speak Up commercial is to use the power of the voice of the people to quell the noise of racial taunting. That might be perhaps the most powerful of weapons to fight racism in soccer stadiums, but at the end of the day, I think those who chant racial slurs will only go home and remain unchanged of their convictions.

Racism is a deep problem that require deeper problem-solving. Although player-involved commercials are another step in the right direction, it still doesn’t destroy the root of the cancer. Racism starts at home and in communities. Racism, in people, starts and develops by being around racist people. To destroy racism, we have to spread cultural understanding, tolerance, and the power of community into the household. Unfortunately, many households’ doors are closed.

PS. Please enjoy the following- http://youtube.com/watch?v=g9r98aDxgkw