“Overnight a cowardly racist has decided to spread hate”
Racist graffiti was printed across a mural honouring Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka, and Jadon Sancho.
“We do not stand with the 3 Black Lions” was scrawled across the wall of the Arthur Wharton Foundation in Darlington, a building dedicated to the first Black professional footballer.
Our Foundation walls A testament to Courage & Endeavour we will never know the pressure of taking a penalty in front of the eyes of the world. To the ignorant, and the haters: Love will
Always conquer hate.❤️🏴⚽️ @MarcusRashford @Sanchooo10 @BukayoSaka87 @FA @UEFA @_andywalker_ pic.twitter.com/blEyt1F12j— Arthur Wharton Foundation (@AWisNumber1) July 14, 2021
After the Euro 2020 final last week, an enormous amount of racist abuse was directed towards Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka, and Jadon Sancho.
The Arthur Wharton Foundation, which was set up in 2010, unveiled the tribute to the three England players on Wednesday. A simple white backdrop with the shirt numbers of the three players was printed on the wall. The mural was then used to project images of the players alongside their numbers.
Yesterday Darlington #TakeTheKnee at the Arthur Wharton Mural
Overnight a cowardly racist has decided to spread hate. We condemn this racism and we stand in solidarity with the Arthur Wharton Foundation
We are the majority and cowardly racists are not welcome
More TBA #BLM pic.twitter.com/Z9MNZtc4fG
— Stand Up To Racism – North East (@SUTR_NE) July 17, 2021
“Overnight a cowardly racist has decided to spread hate,” the group tweeted. “We condemn this racism, and we stand in solidarity with the Arthur Wharton Foundation. We are the majority and cowardly racists are not welcome.”
Further graffiti was printed alongside the England badge; it read: “If the current rate of non-white immigration continues, white Brits will be a minority by 2060.” It read alongside a “wake up” hashtag.
Finally got chance to nip down here with my son. It goes round the corner and out into the street now pic.twitter.com/PSt7h1T1Q4
— Si Lloyd (@SmnLlyd5) July 18, 2021
The racist vandalism is just the latest incident in the last week, in which monuments honouring the three footballers have been desecrated. Earlier this week, a mural honouring the work carried out by Marcus Rashford in forcing the government to feed England’s hungry children was vandalised.
What followed was an outpouring of love from people, with the mural becoming a vigil of sorts, and in front of which a large group took the knee to show solidarity with Rashford, his teammates and the Black community.
