Softball Australia is proud to be a supporter of the Racism. It Stops With Me campaign. 

Now in its tenth year, the Racism. It Stops With Me campaign is being relaunched this week, and seeks to speak to those who do not have lived experience of racism, and are not yet involved in or committed to anti-racist action. 

Racism is more than just harmful words or individual actions, and one of the main objectives of the current campaign is to encourage those who do not have a lived experience of racism to reflect on themselves and on the social structures around them by considering racial biases in our society, its laws, institutions, and ways of thinking. 

Racism harms our collective wellbeing because it prevents us from living in a society that is truly just and equitable, and recognising anti-racism is a skill set that must be developed and refined. 

Softball Australia CEO Rosie Williams OBE said, “There is no space for racism in our sport. We want everyone in softball to feel safe and included, and we are committed to learning more and taking positive action against racism. 

“Later this year, we will endorse the Guidelines for Addressing Racism in Sport, and in February we adopted the National Integrity Framework (NIF), which includes a Member Protection Policy that sets out the expectations and behaviours that to ensure everyone involved in our sport is treated with respect and dignity. We will be working with the States and Territories on education and implementation of the NIF. 

“Talking about it can be challenging, but we need have conversations about racism and inequality, and understand how it affects all of us, and that there is a role for us all to play in addressing it.” 

Support resources can be found on the Racism. It Stops With Me website, and includes a Conversation Guide, Workplace Cultural Diversity Tool, and interactive resource hub. 

By taking a stand against racism, we can build a fair and equal society for all. #ItStopsWithMe