‘We’re creating a union to support British culture to showcase people from the Afro-Caribbean community as valuable members of society’
Anthony Joshua has opted not to take a knee for the Black Lives Matters movement on Saturday night at Wembley Arena when he will defend his world heavyweight title belts against Bulgarian Kubrat Pulev. Joshua also revealed that he has appointed a full-time member of staff in a wider project to do “more tangible things to support Afro-Caribbean British culture” around “stigma and stereotypes”.
Asked by Telegraph Sport if the world champion would be taking a knee in symbolic support for the Black Lives Matters movement, Joshua responded: “That’s a good question. I won’t take the knee. I’m trying to do more tangible things. What we’re trying to do is create a union to support British culture. That’s important – to showcase people from the Afro-Caribbean community as valuable members of British society.
“I think that’s more important. That’s what we’re working on at the minute. Different athletes, different people, different places. So taking a knee is important – 100 per cent. But for me, personally, I’m doing something different this time around.”
The 31-year-old world champion and London 2012 Games gold medallist explained: “I’ve employed someone within my team who is actually working on it. It’s a difficult task but no success comes without difficulty. Hopefully it comes to fruition and it’s really only to do positive things in the great British environment.
“There’s sometimes issues with stigma and stereotypes. So this is to showcase NHS workers, architects, athletes and be positive for everyone in the community. We’ve created a deck, a website, and we’re doing foundational things with grassroots charities. I can talk to you about boxing but certain issues in the world, I’m not a full-time activist so I’m more than likely to slip up here and there. So what I would like to do is to team up with charities who deal with these things day in and day out and support their caues and champion certain things.”
Joshua’s sense of social responsibility outside the ring will never be as prominent without success in it, and if the heavyweight is successful on Saturday night, he is expected to meet fellow British heavyweight Tyson Fury – also a world champion – in a blockbuster showdown next year.