After a visit to a local school, Fulham defender Kenny Tete sees a positive future in the fight against racism and discrimination.
Tete went to Melcombe Primary School just down the road from Fulham’s Craven Cottage stadium to see how No Room For Racism educational resources from the successful Premier League Primary Stars programme are being used to inspire learning and encourage discussion around discrimination and diversity.
The Melcombe class that the Dutchman visited was being delivered by the Fulham FC Foundation and it revolved specifically around Black History Month, something which resonates with a player born to a Mozambique father and a mother from Indonesia.
"It's really important for me and the club," Tete says. "Look at how many different diverse players you've got in the club, but also for me with my background.”
The class was made up of children from a range of backgrounds, something Tete had not witnessed before.
Education is key
This diversity, as well as the education around it, gives Tete hope that anti-discriminatory initiatives such as the Premier League's No Room For Racism, which is currently being promoted at matches, will have a positive impact.
"I just visited a class that was really diverse, which I have never seen in my life, so I was happy to see that and I know it will help No Room For Racism in the future, 100 per cent," he says.
"When I went to school we didn't have that education.
"It was more what your mother or father gave you at home, so that's a good start and a good look for the future and I hope it will get more and more."
Schools can download the free Premier League Primary Stars resources on racism, inclusion and on Black History Month at plprimarystars.com/resources/nrfr-racism-inclusion.
