An Athletics Club Has Apologized for Players Who Wore Blackface to Dress Up Like Serena Williams

This is not ok.

Three Australian athletes wore racist blackface costumes to mimic Serena Williams, her sister Venus Williams, and Aliir Aliir, an Australian rules football player who was born in Kenya.

Tasmanian Penguin Football Club player Beau Grundy posted the image on Facebook. In the photo, he and two other players pose and smile in their “costumes.” Although the picture has since been taken down, the Internet remembers everything. Many people took to social media to express outrage at the men’s racist and offensive behavior. One person said it made them “sick,” and another added that they “don’t know how this still happens.”

The Penguin Football Club has since issued an apology stating that the costume “is unacceptable in this day and age.” The club added that “it was not their intention to upset anyone and all they meant to do was dress as one of their sporting idols.”

“Their actions were never intended to be racist in any way,” the statement continued. “Those concerned have been reprimanded and will be given support to make sure they understand that their behavior was racist and hurtful and that it will not happen again.”

Serena has been subjected to all sorts of (https://www.teenvogue.com/story/serena-williams-addresses-the-body-shaming-shes-experienced-for-having-muscles) discrimination recently. From the French Open banning her catsuit — which she wore to deal with blood clots that almost killed her after she gave birth — to receiving questionable code violations at the U.S. Open, the tennis superstar has dealt with an unnecessary slew of racism and sexism.

As we head into Halloween season, this incident is an unfortunate reminder of the insensitive costumes that often show up on our social media feeds. Blackface is never ok and cultural sensitivity should always be at the forefront this time of year.

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