Smart stands up to be counted in the fight against prejudice

SMART OSADOLOR watched the horrific footage of George Floyd’s tragic death in America and had one harrowing thought: It could have been me.

So when the call came to hit the streets of Glasgow in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, he didn’t hesitate.

There was no way Osadolor was going to tell future generations that he was locked at home during this moment in history.

In his own words, ‘Covid-19 is a pandemic, but so is racism’ — and he is adamant this is a tipping point when society is ready to say ‘enough is enough’.

The Elgin City striker said: ‘If you watch a man dying and aren’t inspired to take action, something is wrong.

‘You need to stand up for what is right. Why is it okay to bring people down because of the colour of their skin?

‘It gets to the stage where enough is enough.

‘If someone said to me: “Smart, you are going to catch the coronavirus and die”, I’d accept that. It’s how important that day was to me.

‘People have fought and died for the right to march peacefully and I wasn’t going to tell future generations that I was sitting in the house when the time came for our voices to be heard.’

The deaths of Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery ignited vociferous protests in the United States, with the subject of alleged police brutality being placed under a microscope.

Scotland, as much as Osadolor adores it, cannot be immune from introspection.

Born in Nigeria, he moved to London at 10 years of age before uprooting again to Glasgow — and it was north of the border where he first encountered the blight of bigotry.

He added: ‘I feel sad to say this, but it is the truth — I didn’t know what racism was until I came to Scotland.

‘I got into fights in school because I didn’t know how to deal with it.’

That is not a slight on Scotland or his education. Osadolor loves Glasgow and was nurtured and appreciated by the teachers at All Saints Secondary School.

However, kids can be cruel and abuse was present. That sense of otherness has continued to an extent in football.

The former Annan Athletic, Albion Rovers and Queen’s Park forward continued: ‘There have been dressing rooms I have been in where I could feel the hostility — and I didn’t understand why.

‘I laugh, I joke, I’ll take stick — but something isn’t right.

‘Things are said that can be “borderline” and, unless you are a black player and have experienced prejudice, the other guys might not realise why you would be offended.

‘You tell yourself it’s a one-off — then you speak to other black players and they say: “That happened to me, too!”

‘I’m almost past the stage of being emotional or angry. I’m tired.’