I’m Calling This Out: Jayden Okunbor’s Stand Against Racism Online

When National Rugby League player Jayden Okunbor spoke out against racist messages on social media, he showed young people that they’re not alone – and that people care and will support them. 

Another keyboard warrior spreads hatred

National Rugby League Bulldogs winger, Jayden Okunbor had just played a game and remembers feeling low after his team lost.

“After that game, I was pretty depressed,” recalls Jayden. “I probably shouldn’t have read my messages. But I ended up doing it.” 

We’ve all been there. Checking our phone when we know it’s the last thing we need to feel better. And when Jayden opened his phone that day, he found vile racist messages waiting for him on Instagram. 

The messages were from a keyboard warrior, hiding behind his screen. Concealing his identity, there was no true name or photograph of himself, nor any posts.

Reading those hateful, anonymous messages was one of many times that Jayden had endured racial abuse – going right back to childhood as a young athlete. 

“I’ve dealt with racism since I was young playing footy, it’s just something I’ve had to deal with,” says Jayden.

The power of platforms to fight racism

Jayden believes it’s important to be a good role model and use his platform as a professional athlete for positive change in the world. Not just to ‘stick to sport’ and ‘focus on the game’.

And that day when he read those messages he thought, no one should have to put up with online hate like this. Deciding to take a stand, he shared the anonymous messages with his followers on Instagram and added comments of his own.

Jayden wrote that while he had signed up to take criticism as an athlete, he drew the line at racism. His message – on behalf of those like him in the public eye and everyday people who endure racial abuse – to “uneducated, ignorant” perpetrators of racism was clear: do better.

The important thing that made Jayden decide to speak out that day was the realisation that racist abuse, like he’d just faced, could seriously harm a person. Particularly someone in a more vulnerable position perhaps struggling with mental health, without sport or a strong community to lift them up.

“If someone was having a really bad day and was down, and then received that type of message, that could be enough to push them over the edge,” says Jayden.

Showing young people they’re not alone

Jayden hopes that using his platform to call it out helped young people to know that they’re not alone in their experience of racism – whether online or in person. 

“If there’s a young person out there with a problem and they see a sports person going through the same thing, just knowing that they’re not alone, they can go to school and maybe be happier,” says Jayden.

The response that flowed from Jayden’s bravery in speaking up also shows young people how much people overwhelmingly care. Both those who are close to them, and the wider community. That there are lots of people who will have their back.

For Jayden, the Bulldogs club reported the incident to the police and assisted with the inquiry. Likewise, teammates, fans, the wider public, and media commentary rallied around Jayden in support. A huge sphere of support surrounded Jayden through his difficult time

“The amount of support I got from calling one person out was amazing,” says Jayden. “It shows that it’s such a small minority who are going to be that openly disrespectful.”

Helping more people to think twice

Being surrounded with support like this makes a huge difference and is something that everyone can play a part in. Whether it’s at school, in community sport, under the spotlight in professional games, or beyond in everyday life. The first person to support Jayden when he spoke out about experiencing racism was teammate and friend, Joe Stimson.

Joe says that the magnitude of support Jayden received will help a lot of people to think twice before racially abusing someone online.

“You did the right thing,” says Joe. “People can’t say something behind a phone and think they’re going to get away with it. They might say they were only joking. But, mate, they still said it. There was a reason they said that.”

Jayden agrees and says that once you put it out on social media, it’s there forever. The words, the hate, the hurt, and the impact of racism on lives remain.

“People can’t say they don’t mean it – they typed it out. And they pressed send. It was time to call it out. And after being called out, he’ll never make that mistake again.”

Being an ally against racism in sport and life

Joe says that he has never been racially vilified, but seeing it happen to his teammate and friend Jayden made him angry. Joe believes that it’s important for people from non-diverse backgrounds to not be shy when it comes to talking about racism.

“One reason that I’m speaking up is because I want to say that I’m here to help you and I’m on your side. I don’t want that to happen again,” says Joe.

“You can come at people for their sporting ability. But when the attack’s on you personally, that’s not what you signed up for.

“A thing we can do as ‘the white person’ is to not joke about it and to take a stand if your friends say something racist. We can stamp that out and say, that’s not on.”

Jayden says that Joe has been really supportive by speaking out against racism. Even though it can be uncomfortable to tell a mate that shouldn’t be said.

“That’s something you’ve done for me in the past, and I think that’s massive,” says Jayden. “People should be able to tell their mate to cut the crap they're talking. To say, that’s just wrong.”

Six ways you can respond to racism

Jayden was brave in speaking out against racism online. He showed young people that they’re not alone and that people from many different parts of their life will have their back. And Joe was a good teammate, friend and ally against racism. He showed that he cares for Jayden and speaks up when it matters. 

Do you want to build your confidence in speaking up against racism like Jayden and Joe? Here are six ways to help you respond online, in your community sport, at school, with family – and beyond throughout your life.