Brathwaite says legislation needed to battle racism, ‘cosmetic’ gestures not enough

(Reuters) – Taking a knee is not enough and legislative change is required to battle racism in society, according to West Indies all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite.

The gesture, first popularised among athletes by American football quarterback Colin Kaepernick, has become widely adopted by many people to protest racial injustice following the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25.

“Taking a knee in isolation or wearing a badge in isolation is not enough,” Brathwaite told BBC’s ‘Stumped’ programme. “For me it’s just cosmetic – that may ruffle a few feathers.”

England will join West Indies in wearing a “Black Lives Matter” logo on their shirts during the three-match test series beginning in Southampton on Wednesday.

“The biggest change needs to be legislative and needs to be the reprogramming of the wider society,” he said.

West Indies captain Jason Holder has demanded racism be treated as seriously as doping and match-fixing in cricket.

Former captains Darren Sammy and Chris Gayle said last month they have experienced racist abuse and threw their weight behind the Black Lives Matters campaign.

(Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)