US tennis star feels some people don’t want Black players to succeed
In a video published by the USA Fed Cup team, Roger Federer said on Thursday that tennis players from different races who are in the same team are in fact all humans. The former Wimbledon champ spoke on ‘The Daily Show with Trevor Noah’ ahead of the 2019 US Open, where he is ranked #2. The tennis star then talked to John Oliver about the recent controversy.
In the video, Roger Federer took on the criticism directed at him by President Donald Trump, saying that we shouldn’t be focusing on race but more on the individual.
On this episode of The Daily Show, Trevor Noah welcomes Roger Federer for discussion on diversity and equality.
Trevor Noah: What’s your reaction to the comments of Donald Trump, saying, oh you know, everyone, you know, they’re all racist.
Roger Federer: Well, I think it reflects a lack of understanding, maybe, of what it’s like to be black in this country. I don’t go around and accuse people of every sort of racism I can think of.
Donald Trump: Racism is a hell of a thing, you know it’s a hell of a thing. You don’t get to say the word racism and I don’t say that word.
Noah: But I’ve said it to you and I’m saying now. So I don’t think it’s fair to say that just to be black in this country is – it’s like, it’s like racism. You know, you’re getting – you’re getting treated like a second class citizen. You know, it’s an unfair system. And I think for this country, if you’re a Black man in this country, it’s like you have to get used to being an outsider.
So to me, this is about the individual. And it’s about being comfortable in one’s skin, you know? And, you know, for me, I love when people talk about different experiences.
So if you see somebody who’s being discriminated