BVB would like to thank all those involved for more than 25 years of tireless work in the field of anti-discrimination in the footballing world
“Racism is not an opinion,” “No beer for Nazis,” “Total offensive against the right” and “Kick Racism Out” – the hand-painted banners in the Südtribüne, which was once again well-filled, were all slightly different last Saturday afternoon, but the overall message was clear: racism has no place anywhere – neither in the Black and Yellow temple, nor in society, nor anywhere else.
However, the numerous banners were only part of the campaign during the game against Mainz 05, which celebrated the 25-year anniversary of the “Kick Racism Out” slogan and at the same time was the celebratory culmination of a week-long awareness-raising campaign organised by the Dortmund Fan Project. The corner flags, hoardings, the warm-up kits of the BVB players or even the top worn by mascot EMMA: in SIGNAL IDUNA PARK, everyone, together and across all levels, sent out a clear message on this day, speaking out against exclusion and discrimination of all kinds.
The opening event of the celebrations on 9 October under the Südtribüne was a complete success and offered the almost 300 people who attended a varied program that combined sport and the arts. The look back at over a quarter of a century of passionate commitment to anti-discrimination work was accompanied by an exhibition entitled “25 Years of Kick Racism Out”, a workshop at the BVB learning centre, a street football tournament, a graffiti campaign under the Südtribüne and the creation of the very same banners that were on show in the last Bundesliga home match against Mainz.
Johannes Böing, who is the head of the BVB learning centre and helped organise the week-long campaign, was pleased from the very start of the campaign and again emphasised the importance of the work done to fight exclusion and intolerance for over two decades: “The BVB learning centre stands for political youth education work with the stadium as the place you go to learn. And, of course, you can make young people the most enthusiastic – about an open and diverse society – if you are convinced of the values and ideas yourself. So the slogan ‘Kick Racism Out’ is an excellent basis for our work.”
Launched in 1995 by the Dortmund Fan Project, the slogan today is not only a beacon and basic orientation of the Fan Project, but is now being carried on throughout Germany and continues to live on to this day – through various campaigns, projects and initiatives.
BVB would also like to thank all those involved for more than 25 years of tireless work in the field of anti-discrimination in the footballing world – and will continue to work side by side for a society without discrimination. Together against racism!
