My name is Greg Stevens, and I am the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Lead for the FA National Youth Council. I am of English and Ghanaian heritage and have a strong passion for diversifying football and increasing opportunities for all.

October, as many of you may know, is Black History Month. This is an important time to show appreciation and promote the inspirational, hard work of people of black descent.

For Black History Month 2023, I would like to share a story of an inspirational person in my life and fellow Ghanaian, Kevin Prince Boateng.

Kevin Prince Boateng was a professional footballer and Ghanaian international, playing for teams such as Tottenham Hotspur, Barcelona and AC Milan. In a friendly in 2013, whilst playing for AC Milan, Boateng was subject to horrifying racist chants, but the way he and his teammates stood up to the abuse, advocating for change in the sporting world was incredible. Due to the constant tortuous chants, Boateng stopped with the ball, picked it up and booted it into the crowd due to the anger and despair. After this, Boateng proceeded to walk for the tunnel and not play the game, swiftly followed by his teammates meaning the friendly was abandoned. This action to leave the field was further applauded by many AC Milan fans and praised on social media shortly after with the vice-chair of Milan at the time, Umberto Gandini, expressing he was “very proud of the Milan players”.

Since the incident, Boateng has remained a prominent advocate in the fight for change against racism by doing media interviews, writing articles and being a panellist during discussions surrounding racism in football. In 2020, he claimed that for society to do enough, “We have to talk, we have to be louder”. This infers that we all have a major role to play in the fight against racism, regardless of your ethnic background.

I decided to highlight this racist incident in football due to the stand that the global footballing world took, and also the courageousness of Kevin Prince Boateng and the Milan players on the pitch, to walk off and not accept such disgusting abuse.

This incident personally affected me at the time, being only 9 years old when it occurred and watching it on the news. I vividly remember not understanding the reason why people are ‘racist’ and why it is a problem. Being a mixed-raced, white and black African, it hurt me to know that some people would not like me because of the way I look. But at the same time, I respected the bravery of him and his teammates, to take a stand against racism.

This moment means a lot to me as it has helped shape who I am today and why I am passionate about equality, diversity, and inclusion within football. It has taught me to not be scared to speak up also and understand that my voice is a powerful tool to be utilised. Due to the impact Boateng had on my life, I wish to have that same impact on others, so people can feel strong to be able to speak out and not allow these racist incidences to occur.

This month, for Black History Month, we need to recognise the importance of black history and the progressive steps we have taken in society. The journey towards equality is far from the end, but by taking action, like Boateng and his teammates did, then we can stand up to racism and ensure that racism is abolished from the world of sport and wider society.

So, what other instances of bravery and courageousness can we celebrate and applaud during Black History Month this year?