We all relate to Bobby

LENA DUNHAM is one of the finest writers of her generation. Her HBO show, Girls, was by turns funny, insightful, poignant and raw. For this reason, when Steven Spielberg and JJ Abrams decided to adapt the book A Hope More Powerful Than The

Sea, they commissioned Dunham to write the script. And then the backlash started. The book, written by Melissa Fleming, head of communications for the United Nations Refugee Agency, tells the true story of Doaa al-Zamel, a Syrian refugee who survived the sinking of her boat in the Mediterranean in which hundreds died, including her fiance. Dunham is neither Syrian, nor a refugee. So, in the present climate she is considered unsuitable to tell this particular story. Just as straight actors are admonished for playing gay roles, and it was considered unnatural that Gordon Ramsay should explore the world of Indian cuisine. We’re getting dumber. This week, the co-curator of an event at the Royal Society of Arts, celebrating the life of England’s first black, female footballer, explained why she wishes to see a statue of Emma Clarke erected at Wembley. ‘When I take my nieces along Wembley Way and they see a statue of Bobby Moore, they don’t relate to it,’ said Michelle Moore. ‘If they see a statue of Emma Clarke, they are going to want to have their photo taken.’ Really? Bobby Moore is England’s only World Cup-winning captain. Wembley was where England won the World Cup. Clarke died in 1905, 18 years before it was even built. So, are we truly raising generations that can only relate to people exactly like them? This would mean a trailblazer such as Clarke, who played for British Ladies in 1895, would only be of interest to black women. And that isn’t true. As a species, we are interested in each other. Libraries, museums, art galleries, cinemas, theatres, all full of works dedicated to humanity’s fascination with other humans, their lives and motivations, regardless of creed and gender. And, certainly, in the world of sport, we are inspired by human achievement. Bobby Moore doesn’t get a statue because he is white, or male. He gets a statue because of a wonderful accomplishment, one that should be relatable to all. And, if it isn’t, we really need to start looking at our educators, of which Michelle Moore is one.