{"id":54307,"date":"2022-08-23T22:30:02","date_gmt":"2022-08-23T22:30:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/black-player-with-cotton-like-material-in-hair-at-llws-sparks-outrage\/"},"modified":"2022-08-23T22:30:02","modified_gmt":"2022-08-23T22:30:02","slug":"black-player-with-cotton-like-material-in-hair-at-llws-sparks-outrage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/black-player-with-cotton-like-material-in-hair-at-llws-sparks-outrage\/","title":{"rendered":"Black player with cotton-like material in hair at LLWS sparks outrage"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div class=\"wpds-c-grBDNq hide-for-print mb-sm undefined\">\n<div class=\"PJLV PJLV-iAjpuP-css flex items-center\" config=\"[object Object]\" data-qa=\"article-actions\">\n<div class=\"wpds-c-fLphcs\"><button class=\"wpds-c-gNHrZC wpds-c-gNHrZC-bywHgD-variant-primary wpds-c-gNHrZC-biynoz-density-compact wpds-c-gNHrZC-hZSyid-isOutline-true wpds-c-gNHrZC-ejCoEP-icon-left wpds-c-gNHrZC-futxca-cv wpds-c-gNHrZC-ihhnWqF-css\"><button class=\"PJLV PJLV-igcOMTV-css\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"0 0 16 16\" fill=\"currentColor\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" role=\"img\" class=\"wpds-c-coakfw wpds-c-efqEZa focus-highlight flex items-center justify-center brad-lg pointer transition-400 ease-in-out transition-colors\" aria-label=\"Comment on this story\" iconstyle=\"[object Object]\"><title>Comment on this story<\/title><path d=\"M14 14V2H2v9.47h8.18L12.43 13ZM3 10.52V3h10v9.23l-2.5-1.66Z\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/p>\n<p>Comment<\/p>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"teaser-content grid-center\">\n<div class=\"article-body\" data-qa=\"article-body\">\n<p data-qa=\"drop-cap-letter\" data-el=\"text\" class=\"font-copy font--article-body gray-darkest ma-0 pb-md\">An incident involving Little League players that was shown on ESPN produced a strong reaction among a number of observers online Monday as it went viral.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-body\" data-qa=\"article-body\">\n<p data-qa=\"drop-cap-letter\" data-el=\"text\" class=\"font-copy font--article-body gray-darkest ma-0 pb-md\">The scene showed a young Black player sitting with a blank expression as White teammates affixed a cotton-like substance to his hair.  As ESPN&#8217;s camera lingered on the moment during a nationally televised Major League Baseball game, network announcers made light of what they saw, but some who viewed it expressed concern about what seemed to them to be an act of racial insensitivity.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-body\" data-qa=\"article-body\">\n<p data-qa=\"drop-cap-letter\" data-el=\"text\" class=\"font-copy font--article-body gray-darkest ma-0 pb-md\">It happened Sunday evening during the 2022 MLB Little League Classic, a game between the Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox staged at Historic Bowman Field in Williamsport, Pa.  The 2,366-seat stadium is the site of the Little League World Series, which is being televised by ESPN.  The children seen in the viral clip were players from the Davenport, Iowa, area who are representing the Midwest region in the 12-and-under tournament and were in attendance for the Orioles-Red Sox game.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-body\" data-qa=\"article-body\">\n<p data-qa=\"drop-cap-letter\" data-el=\"text\" class=\"font-copy font--article-body gray-darkest ma-0 pb-md\">\u201cDuring the broadcast of the MLB Little League Classic, a Midwest player was shown with filling from a stuffed animal given away at the game on his head,\u201d Little League International said Monday in a statement.  \u201cAfter speaking with the team, as well as reviewing photos, multiple players on the Midwest Region team were taking part in this while enjoying the game.  As only one player appeared on the broadcast, Little League International understands that the actions shown could be perceived as racially insensitive.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-body\" data-qa=\"article-body\">\n<p data-qa=\"drop-cap-letter\" data-el=\"text\" class=\"font-copy font--article-body gray-darkest ma-0 pb-md\">\u201cWe have spoken with the player&#8217;s mother and the coaches, who have assured us that there was no ill-intent behind the action shown during the broadcast.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-body\" data-qa=\"article-body\">\n<p data-qa=\"drop-cap-letter\" data-el=\"text\" class=\"font-copy font--article-body gray-darkest ma-0 pb-md\">An official with the Midwest team \u2014 which appears to be composed primarily of White players \u2014 declined to comment Monday, saying he had been asked by Little League International to refer media inquiries to the youth baseball organization.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-body\" data-qa=\"article-body\">\n<p data-qa=\"drop-cap-letter\" data-el=\"text\" class=\"font-copy font--article-body gray-darkest ma-0 pb-md\">\u201cWe understand the sensitivities and are in touch with Little League organizers about the situation,\u201d ESPN said in a statement Tuesday morning.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-body\" data-qa=\"article-body\">\n<p><span class=\"font--article-body font-copy hide-for-print ma-0 pb-md db italic interstitial\">In &#8216;remarkable&#8217; moment, Little Leaguer hugs opponent after scary pitch<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-body\" data-qa=\"article-body\">\n<p data-qa=\"drop-cap-letter\" data-el=\"text\" class=\"font-copy font--article-body gray-darkest ma-0 pb-md\">Taking issue with the Little League International statement was Carolyn Hinds, a Toronto-based film critic and journalist who reacted to the viral footage by <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CarrieCnh12\/status\/1561789946280689665\" target=\"_blank\">tweeting<\/a> that it was \u201cexactly what we think it is and some people need to be taken to task.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-body\" data-qa=\"article-body\">\n<p data-qa=\"drop-cap-letter\" data-el=\"text\" class=\"font-copy font--article-body gray-darkest ma-0 pb-md\">When reached later Monday by phone, Hinds said Little League officials did not \u201caddress the issue\u201d presented in the clip.  She wondered if the actions were \u201csomething that happens regularly with this team,\u201d and what kind of lessons about racial tolerance were being imparted by the players&#8217; parents.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-body\" data-qa=\"article-body\">\n<p data-qa=\"drop-cap-letter\" data-el=\"text\" class=\"font-copy font--article-body gray-darkest ma-0 pb-md\">On Tuesday, Davenport Southeast Little League (SELL), the Iowa-based parent organization for the squad representing the Midwest Region, released a statement in which it said that its players were attempting to \u201cattempt to emulate the white mohawk of the Hawaii team&#8217;s star player, who they think is a great baseball player with a very cool hairstyle.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-body\" data-qa=\"article-body\">\n<p data-qa=\"drop-cap-letter\" data-el=\"text\" class=\"font-copy font--article-body gray-darkest ma-0 pb-md\">Identifying the Black child in question as second baseman Jeremiah Grise, the organization stated that ESPN&#8217;s cameras &#8220;did not show the boys putting stuffing on the heads of multiple players and of Jeremiah laughing and loving his new &#8216;look.&#8217;  &#8220;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-body\" data-qa=\"article-body\">\n<p data-qa=\"drop-cap-letter\" data-el=\"text\" class=\"font-copy font--article-body gray-darkest ma-0 pb-md\">SELL shared footage from the game of Grise, with the substance on his head, laughing and cheering.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-body\" data-qa=\"article-body\">\n<p data-qa=\"drop-cap-letter\" data-el=\"text\" class=\"font-copy font--article-body gray-darkest ma-0 pb-md\">\u201cWe are in no way trying to minimize the racial insensitivity of the boys&#8217; actions and apologize for any harm this video has caused,\u201d SELL continued. \u201cWe have spoken to the boys to help educate them on why it was inappropriate \u2014 which none of them had realized or understood at the time. They understand it now, providing them a life lesson they will carry forward.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-body\" data-qa=\"article-body\">\n<p data-qa=\"drop-cap-letter\" data-el=\"text\" class=\"font-copy font--article-body gray-darkest ma-0 pb-md\">As with some other observers, Hinds had found several elements of the scene jarring, including the use of a material that closely resembled cotton \u2014 conjuring associations with slaveholding plantations in the United States and in her native Barbados \u2014 and the lack of \u201crespect for his bodily autonomy.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-body\" data-qa=\"article-body\">\n<p data-qa=\"drop-cap-letter\" data-el=\"text\" class=\"font-copy font--article-body gray-darkest ma-0 pb-md\">\u201cAs a Black person, and a Black woman, just the whole idea of \u200b\u200bsomeone putting cotton in any Black person&#8217;s hair immediately upset me,\u201d Hinds said.  \u201cFor us, the history of cotton in and of itself is tumultuous.\u201d  In addition, she asserted, Black people are \u201cvery sensitive about who touches our hair.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-body\" data-qa=\"article-body\">\n<p data-qa=\"drop-cap-letter\" data-el=\"text\" class=\"font-copy font--article-body gray-darkest ma-0 pb-md\">for another online <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/kdthompson5\/status\/1561779945931685888\" target=\"_blank\">commenter<\/a>the sight of the child&#8217;s hair having the material attached to it struck a deeply personal chord.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-body\" data-qa=\"article-body\">\n<p data-qa=\"drop-cap-letter\" data-el=\"text\" class=\"font-copy font--article-body gray-darkest ma-0 pb-md\">Khari Thompson, a reporter at Boston sports radio station WEEI, explained by phone Monday that while growing up near Chicago in northwest Indiana, he was one of the few Black kids in his various classrooms.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-body\" data-qa=\"article-body\">\n<p data-qa=\"drop-cap-letter\" data-el=\"text\" class=\"font-copy font--article-body gray-darkest ma-0 pb-md\">\u201cI was used to standing out for how different I looked, how different my hair looked, and people would try to touch it, play around with it when I&#8217;d ride on the school bus,\u201d he said.  \u201cIt got to a point where people would try to hide loose change in my hair.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-body\" data-qa=\"article-body\">\n<p data-qa=\"drop-cap-letter\" data-el=\"text\" class=\"font-copy font--article-body gray-darkest ma-0 pb-md\">\u201cI just kind of took it,\u201d he added, \u201cbecause I felt very alone in my situation.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-body\" data-qa=\"article-body\">\n<p><span class=\"font--article-body font-copy hide-for-print ma-0 pb-md db italic interstitial\">Player suffers head injury in fall from bunk at Little League World Series<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-body\" data-qa=\"article-body\">\n<p data-qa=\"drop-cap-letter\" data-el=\"text\" class=\"font-copy font--article-body gray-darkest ma-0 pb-md\">Those experiences gave Thompson a huge amount of sympathy for the child in the clip, and for the 31-year-old reporter, it did not matter much if, as Little League officials suggested, White teammates not seen on camera were undergoing similar treatment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-body\" data-qa=\"article-body\">\n<p data-qa=\"drop-cap-letter\" data-el=\"text\" class=\"font-copy font--article-body gray-darkest ma-0 pb-md\">\u201cTo a White kid, sticking cotton in your hair \u2014 what imagery and history does that evoke?\u201d  Thompson asked.  \u201cYeah, sure, it&#8217;s fun.  It&#8217;s nothing.  But that&#8217;s not the case for somebody like me or somebody like him.  \u2026 When you are the one person that looks like you and has hair like you, it carries a different meaning.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-body\" data-qa=\"article-body\">\n<p data-qa=\"drop-cap-letter\" data-el=\"text\" class=\"font-copy font--article-body gray-darkest ma-0 pb-md\">\u201cIt&#8217;s on the adults to do something about that,\u201d he added, \u201cand it&#8217;s really distressing to see \u2026 that nobody did anything about that.  That&#8217;s horrifying to me.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-body\" data-qa=\"article-body\">\n<p data-qa=\"drop-cap-letter\" data-el=\"text\" class=\"font-copy font--article-body gray-darkest ma-0 pb-md\">ESPN announcer Karl Ravech appeared to have a different reaction to what he was seeing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-body\" data-qa=\"article-body\">\n<p data-qa=\"drop-cap-letter\" data-el=\"text\" class=\"font-copy font--article-body gray-darkest ma-0 pb-md\">\u201cThat&#8217;s just Little Leaguers being Little Leaguers right there,\u201d Ravech said of the scene.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-body\" data-qa=\"article-body\">\n<p data-qa=\"drop-cap-letter\" data-el=\"text\" class=\"font-copy font--article-body gray-darkest ma-0 pb-md\">Hinds faulted the producers of the telecast for not cutting away once it became apparent what was happening.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-body\" data-qa=\"article-body\">\n<p data-qa=\"drop-cap-letter\" data-el=\"text\" class=\"font-copy font--article-body gray-darkest ma-0 pb-md\">\u201cThey don&#8217;t look at these situations,\u201d she said, \u201cand step outside of themselves and say, &#8216;Is this a problem?&#8217;  They are not thinking to themselves, &#8216;If this was my kid, my friend&#8217;s kid, my niece, would I be okay with this?&#8217;  \u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-body\" data-qa=\"article-body\">\n<p data-qa=\"drop-cap-letter\" data-el=\"text\" class=\"font-copy font--article-body gray-darkest ma-0 pb-md\">The Midwest team is back in action on Tuesday, when it takes on the Southwest Region squad in the tournament&#8217;s consolation bracket.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-body\" data-qa=\"article-body\">\n<p data-qa=\"drop-cap-letter\" data-el=\"text\" class=\"font-copy font--article-body gray-darkest ma-0 pb-md\">\u201cThe Little League World Series has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience for our boys and we hope everyone&#8217;s focus can return to their great play, teamwork and sportsmanship on the field,\u201d SELL said in its statement Tuesday.  \u201cWe ask everyone, including the media and online provocateurs, to please let these 12-year-olds be 12-year-olds.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"b bt bc-offblack dn-ns hide-for-print\" data-testid=\"mostRead\" subscriptions-section=\"content\"\/><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Comment on this story Comment An incident involving Little League players that was shown on ESPN produced a strong reaction among a number of observers online Monday as it went viral. The scene showed a young Black player sitting with a blank expression as White teammates affixed a cotton-like substance to his hair. As ESPN&#8217;s &hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"> <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/black-player-with-cotton-like-material-in-hair-at-llws-sparks-outrage\/\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Black player with cotton-like material in hair at LLWS sparks outrage<\/span> Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":40799,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/broncos-release-their-initial-depth-chart\/","url_meta":{"origin":54307,"position":0},"title":"Broncos release their initial depth chart","date":"August 10, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"The Denver Broncos released their initial unofficial depth chart earlier this evening. They play their first preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys this weekend so this is when we get our first glimpse of the depth chart. At the end of the day, it's hard to gain much from this,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":61786,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/2022-nfl-roster-cuts-practice-squad-waiver-wire-rules-deadlines-explained\/","url_meta":{"origin":54307,"position":1},"title":"2022 NFL roster cuts: Practice squad, waiver wire rules, deadlines explained","date":"August 31, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"NFL teams, including the New York Giants, can be awarded waiver claims beginning Wednesday afternoon. They can also begin constructing practice squads. There is always some confusion over the rules for how all of that works. So, let's see if we can clear some of that up. Wave wire rules\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":59459,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/mlbpa-sends-out-union-authorization-cards-in-first-step-toward-unionizing-minor-leaguers\/","url_meta":{"origin":54307,"position":2},"title":"MLBPA sends out union authorization cards in first step toward unionizing minor leaguers","date":"August 29, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"The Major League Baseball Players Association took an initial step toward unionizing the minor leagues Sunday night, sending out authorization cards that will allow minor league players to trigger an election that could make them MLBPA members, union executive director Tony Clark told ESPN on Sunday night.The potential unionization of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":55217,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/myles-garrett-i-think-i-should-be-no-1-on-nfls-top-100-players\/","url_meta":{"origin":54307,"position":3},"title":"Myles Garrett: I think I should be No.  1 on NFL&#8217;s Top 100 players","date":"August 24, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"\r \r \r Getty Images Browns defensive end Myles Garrett wants to be recognized as the best player in the NFL.Garrett was asked about the annual NFL Network ranking of the Top 100 players in the league, the Top 20 of which will be announced on Sunday, and he said\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"Wild Card Round - Cleveland Browns v Pittsburgh Steelers","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/profootballtalk.nbcsports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/25\/2022\/08\/GettyImages-1295728264-e1661354607771.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":61318,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/so-now-what-happens-with-the-minnesota-vikings-roster\/","url_meta":{"origin":54307,"position":4},"title":"So now what happens with the Minnesota Vikings&#8217; roster?","date":"August 31, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"The dust has officially settled and the smoke has finally cleared with all 32 NFL teams having set their initial 53-man rosters. But, as we know, the process isn't done yet. Let's take a moment or two to go over precisely what happens from here. Waiver Claims A lot of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":61909,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/expect-the-chiefs-to-make-more-roster-moves-on-wednesday\/","url_meta":{"origin":54307,"position":5},"title":"Expect the Chiefs to make more roster moves on Wednesday","date":"August 31, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"There's always a little bit of confusion at this time. For weeks, you've read about the \u201cfinal cutdown\u201d to 53 players. That happened at 3 pm (Arrowhead Time) on Tuesday, as the Kansas City Chiefs (and the rest of the NFL's teams) made the moves to get their rosters to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/wp-apps\/imrs.php?src=https:\/\/arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com\/public\/3VBVAGQ6JEI63HHGNASTXUYYMQ.jpg&w=1440","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54307"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54307"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54307\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54307"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54307"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54307"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}