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dalton99a

(81,073 posts)
Fri Jan 4, 2019, 03:34 AM Jan 2019

A black hockey player faced ugly racial taunts. Then his teammates went to work.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/a-black-hockey-player-faced-ugly-racial-taunts-then-his-teammates-went-to-work/2019/01/03/3148f5a2-0f49-11e9-84fc-d58c33d6c8c7_story.html

A black hockey player faced ugly racial taunts. Then his teammates went to work.
By Petula Dvorak
January 3 at 12:40 PM


Divyne Apollon II, 13, plays defense for the Metro Maple Leafs. His team rallied behind him after a racial incident at a tournament last week. He is flanked by his sisters, Deja and Devinity, who are college tennis players. (Divyne Apollon)

The color of his skin didn’t matter to the ice. The color of his skin didn’t matter to the puck. And until this season, Divyne Apollon II believed that the color of his skin didn’t matter to his opponents.

So Divyne, 13, the only black player on his Maryland hockey team, wasn’t prepared for the monkey sounds another team’s players made at him. And the n-word. And the constant chants of “Get off the ice! Go play basketball!”

“I’ve never had it in my face like that before,” he said.

But what really shocked him and his father, Divyne Apollon — a bear of a hockey dad — was the reaction by his own teammates after a particularly awful round of racial hazing at a tournament last weekend.

“They were so angry about it. They seemed even angrier than us,” Apollon said.

First, there was the brawl.

Divyne, who plays defense for the 14-and-under Metro Maple Leafs, a travel hockey team based at Piney Orchard Ice Arena in Odenton, Md., was shaking it off.

“I told him he would face this in a mostly white sport,” his dad said. “I did the same thing for my daughters when they played tennis. I just told them: ‘People are going to say things to you. Just perform and win. Don’t worry about anybody else.’ ”

And since he was 8 years old and discovered the unparalleled passion of boy-meets-ice, he’d never heard unusual rink hate. He started his hockey career with the Wells Warriors in Prince George’s County, a diverse hockey team. (Full disclosure: My younger son began playing in its pewee division this year.)

“But it wasn’t until we started playing some of the teams out of Pennsylvania that we started hearing this kind of stuff,” Apollon said.

The game Saturday was buzzing with racial animosity. The monkey sounds were constant when the players were in Divyne’s zone. And he tried to ignore them.


9 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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A black hockey player faced ugly racial taunts. Then his teammates went to work. (Original Post) dalton99a Jan 2019 OP
Where are the coaches and referees. Players and entire teams democratisphere Jan 2019 #1
Read the whole article - it's worth it RainCaster Jan 2019 #2
Definitely worth the read. pazzyanne Jan 2019 #4
Reminds me of when Cam Ward got the same treatment by Bruins fans vercetti2021 Jan 2019 #3
Every coach in that tournament The Polack MSgt Jan 2019 #5
Marking for later. Lucky Luciano Jan 2019 #6
Not surprised that PA, the state of my childhood, was where they encountered this racism first ProfessorPlum Jan 2019 #7
Great story. Great community. Nitram Jan 2019 #8
Thanks. Glad Marylanders are standing up and against this. elleng Jan 2019 #9

democratisphere

(17,235 posts)
1. Where are the coaches and referees. Players and entire teams
Fri Jan 4, 2019, 03:54 AM
Jan 2019

should have been ejected for such behaviour. Doing nothing only encourages more of the same racist behavior!

pazzyanne

(6,519 posts)
4. Definitely worth the read.
Fri Jan 4, 2019, 05:25 AM
Jan 2019

Just think how change can be made by a group of dedicated people working for change for a better society. Gives one hope for the future of our country!

vercetti2021

(10,150 posts)
3. Reminds me of when Cam Ward got the same treatment by Bruins fans
Fri Jan 4, 2019, 04:23 AM
Jan 2019

Called him the worst stuff over Twitter because he scored the game winner that knocked Boston out of the playoffs

The Polack MSgt

(13,159 posts)
5. Every coach in that tournament
Fri Jan 4, 2019, 05:33 AM
Jan 2019

Needs an ass kicking.

13 year old boys need leadership or they degenerate into complete assholery. The adults seemed ok with that in this case, and that's unacceptable

Lucky Luciano

(11,242 posts)
6. Marking for later.
Fri Jan 4, 2019, 07:54 AM
Jan 2019

That kids is a giant compared to his older sisters...he must be in his skates for that picture!

ProfessorPlum

(11,252 posts)
7. Not surprised that PA, the state of my childhood, was where they encountered this racism first
Fri Jan 4, 2019, 09:32 AM
Jan 2019

It's such a great place in so many ways - but racial progress is definitely not one of them.

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