Representation matters. Based upon their promotional team photos, the Australian Olympic team missed that lesson. But Las Vegas Aces and Australian basketball star, Liz Cambage, didn’t and is calling them out.
Cambage, whose father is Nigerian and mother is Australian, did not take kindly to photos of Australia’s Olympic and Paralympic teams and took to Instagram to let her feelings be known.
“How am I meant to represent a country that doesn’t even represent me,” wrote Cambage in her stories about the post, adding the hashtag “#whitewashedaustralia”.
After reading the other post comments, it’s obvious she wasn’t alone in her feelings.
“Must be white. I mean nice to have the complexion for the connection.” wrote one user.
“Blinded by the white.” wrote another.
“Y’all really do anything to remove POCs from the forefront when it’s black athletes leading the pack,” added Cambage. “until I see y’all doin’ more @ausolympicteam imma sit this one out.”
But she wasn’t done.
On Team Australia’s page, Cambage continued her rightful vent.
“Fake tan doesn’t equal diversity,” wrote Cambage.
Her frustration was felt by both Jockey and Team Australia who both responded to her statements.
Jockey issued their statement in an Instagram post.
“Jockey work with a diverse range of brand ambassadors across Australia and New Zealand, but acknowledge that we fell short in representing our diverse Australian community in these images of Olympic and Paralympic athletes.
“Jockey is committed to supporting and representing all Australians and is proud to support all our Australian sporting heroes competing in the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.”
The Australian Olympic Committee issued a statement on their site.
“The athletes made available to Jockey could and should have better reflected the rich diversity of athletes who represent Australia at the Olympic Games.
“The AOC does however have a very proud history of celebrating and promoting diversity in all its forms. From Indigenous reconciliation, people of colour, gender equality and all forms of diversity, the AOC is rightly proud of its record.“
They added that they’re committed to diversity and that future photoshoots will be more representative of their “broad diversity of athletes.”
Some, including former Australian women’s basketball coach, Tom Maher, disagreed with Cambage. He said it was “inappropriate” for her to threaten the team with a boycott.
“There have been no bad intentions (in posts of the athletes),” said Maher to The Australian. “Was there a homosexual athlete represented? Was there a Chinese Australian athlete mentioned? I mean, where does it end?
“If I was coach, I wouldn’t entertain any threats at all. If she wants to come, she can come, but if she told me she was going to boycott I’d say, ‘Good luck, see you later’.
“She is a great player, but the issues need to be attended to in the right environment. Right now if you are an Olympian, you could make the protest without making the threat.
“That would be a more appropriate way of dealing with it.”
It’s obvious that Maher missed Cambage’s point. But that didn’t phase the Aces’ star.
“It’s sad, the whitewashing is sad,” said Cambage.
“Your Black athletes lead you everywhere. Indigenous athletes are some of the best athletes we have, and you don’t use them at all.”
One athlete she mentioned in particular was Cathy Freeman. Freeman was the Australian Aboriginal sprinter who heroically, and historically, won Gold in the 400m at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. It was a moment that all recognized the significance of and celebrated with her as she jogged around the track with both the Australian and the native Aboriginal flag.
Cambage did issue one apology, and that was to Maurice Longbottom. Longbottom is an Indigenous rugby sevens player and was the lone athlete of color in Team Austalia’s photo. She made it clear that she wasn’t referring to him with her statement about “fake tan”.
“To Mr Longbottom, I’m sorry that you got caught up in this,” Cambage said. “I did not think you had fake tan on, I was never saying that, I was saying that for the rest of the photo.”
Cambage is preparing for the Aces’ upcoming season after sitting out last year. But just because she’s in Vegas doesn’t mean that she’s not paying attention to what’s going on in the world.
Especially in Australia.
