Little League World Series officials have said there was no “ill-intent” after a video of players sticking a cotton-like material on a Black teammate’s head drew backlash online.
In the video, the player, who wears a Midwest Region uniform, can be seen sitting in a chair as teammates pull the stuffing out of toys and stick it on their head.
The team, from Davenport, Iowa, appeared to be watching Sunday’s Little League Classic game between the Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox when the incident, which aired on ESPN, unfolded.
“That’s just Little Leaguers being Little Leaguers right there,” a commentator can be heard saying as the camera homed in on the scene.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Little League World Series said that while officials understood how the incident “could be perceived as racially insensitive,” after speaking with the child’s mother and coaches, they were assured, “there was no ill-intent behind the action shown during the broadcast.”
Officials said that “after 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,” they said.
Not all were satisfied with that explanation, with comedian Leslie Jones weighing in on Twitter saying: “…There is no way this looks good.”
The video drew fierce criticism online, however, with many branding it a racist display, while some warned that it could discourage Black children from wanting to pursue sports.
“That is traumatizing, and the young man looks humiliated,” one social media user wrote. “The @ESPN announcer had the audacity to say, ‘Kids will be kids.’ Shameful,” they said, tagging the broadcaster, which did not immediately respond to an overnight request for comment from NBC News.
“Hey @MLB – you want more Black kids in the game, but this is what happens when they play America’s Pastime,” another said.
The incident comes days after a Black mother filed a lawsuit against Los Angeles Unified School District in state court over a past elementary school project that she said involved students picking cotton to learn about slavery.
In the lawsuit, Rashunda Pitts branded the project, which took place in 2017, “culturally insensitive” and said her daughter had suffered extreme emotional distress as a result.
In a statement to NBC Los Angeles in October 2017, a spokesperson for LAUSD said school administrators had immediately removed the cotton plant after becoming aware of Pitts’ concerns. A spokesperson for LAUSD said in an email to NBC News earlier this month that the district does not typically comment on pending or ongoing litigation.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
