Racers falsely accused a Little League baseball team of “racism” by placing cotton balls on a black player’s head.
On Sunday, photos and videos of the incident circulated on social media as critics criticized the boys and their coach for putting cotton on a black boy’s head, and critics said it amounted to slavery.
In the video, cited as an example of “racism,” a black player is seen awkwardly sitting in his seat while his teammates pull a white, cotton-like stuffing from the stuffed animal and place fluff balls on the boy’s head.
Here is the video from the broadcast: pic.twitter.com/CTUJ2hVg2A
— Philip Lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) 22 August 2022
Despite accusations that the team was not a “safe area” for a black player and that it was a clear example of “racism”, further investigation into the incident refuted the allegations.
The team, children, parents and the Little League baseball team said there was no intent, and white players were also defamed.
As it turned out, the children did not make racist remarks or bully anyone. It turned out that they were making fun of the white Mohawk hair that a Little League shooter from Hawaii wore. The black player is the only player on the team with a cotton ball on his head. And the other teammates who put cotton on their heads were white.
Many black and white colleagues attended. They mimicked the pitcher from Hawaii with a beautiful white Mohawk. There’s a video of the headline actor bending over and smiling while saying “the new Jarron Lancaster.” pic.twitter.com/kode6vT3oD
— Author, KE Ganshert (@KEganshort) 23 August 2022
In fact, in another video, a black actress shows him laughing with his friends:
Here is the context. Lancaster from Hawaii is a heterosexual baseball player. All children get his autograph. pic.twitter.com/pEuu1R8h37
— Author, KE Ganshert (@KEganshort) 23 August 2022
Little League officials reviewed the incident and denied the allegations of racism and determined that there was no “malicious intent” at the time of the incident.
“During the broadcast of the MLB Little League Classic, a Midwestern player was seen wearing a plush toy donated to the game on his head,” officials said in a statement, according to Yahoo News. “After talking to the team and looking at the pictures, several players from the Midwest team joined the action while enjoying the game.
“Because only one player appears on the air, Little League International understands that the action may be perceived as racially insensitive,” the organization said. “We spoke to the player’s mother and coaches and assured us that there was no malicious intent behind the actions shown on the air.”
But that didn’t stop drivers from sparking racial outrage over the incident.
For example, Darren M. Haynes of WUSA 9 described the incident as an act of racism regardless of his intentions, adding that he was so upset by the racism the child was exposed to in the video. But Haynes made no effort to find pictures of white children with cotton wool on their heads. He also didn’t show a video of a laughing black actor, and he didn’t do his due diligence to find out why they were putting cotton balls on their heads in the first place.
White players who put cotton on the head of a black teammate spark anger on social media
Here is my view:@wusa9 pic.twitter.com/3Mcca810fn
— Darren M. Haynes (@DarrenMHaynes) 23 August 2022
But Haynes was hardly alone. Hundreds of angry users expressed their anger on social media, even though there was no fact to base their anger on.
Here are some typical posts from critics of the event:
Every “no” in the entire Nopeville empire.
And before we move on to whether the actions are based on racism and need to be justified in some way, please remember that optics and results are the most important here.
Hell. https://t.co/zJV40AhFPG
– Charles F. Coleman Jr (@CFColemanJr) 23 August 2022
Has anyone seen the nasty moves in the Little League World Series 1? The black boy’s hair was covered with white cotton. White men, white rams etc. knows. that this is racist behavior; and to anyone who sticks cotton in the child’s hair https://t.co/0qTcBNnhYC
— Miss Marcella expresses regret (@marcelladba) 22 August 2022
A Little League team in Iowa decided to cotton the hair of their only black teammates during the World Cup. This is not a safe place for this kid. Of course his teammates and parents think it’s okay.. https://t.co/iQU4uXnn9d
– Garrison Davis (@garydaviswisdom) 23 August 2022
None of her parents were white or black American because they never reported knocking anyone out. https://t.co/hZuQYQ46Mf
— TEAM PROMOTIONS (@dareal88keyz) 22 August 2022
I just watched a disgusting video of a minor league baseball team sticking cotton balls in the hair of their black teammates… why was that a problem? First, the connotation of black people and cotton, and now this kid has to “choose” cotton from his hair. Second, how dare the announcer?
— Cam Sinclair undervalued (@isingigame) 23 August 2022
Source: Breitbart
