kendall waston

Kendall Waston is speaking out and working to create support for Black and Latinx athletes and communities.

The soccer star, who plays for the MLS team FC Cincinnati, is a part of Black Players for Change, a group of approximately 77 MLS players who have come together to tackle racial injustice. In a video made by MLS Español about the effort, Waston talked about the double racism he faces in the United States as an Afro-Costa Rican, as well as racism back home.

“Here in the United States – especially, obviously – I am marked by of my skin color and because I speak Spanish,” he said in a video for MLS Español. “I’m treated differently… Many players… don’t feel the freedom to go [for help]. Now with this organization, all know… that their voice and opinion can be heard and respected.

“Many people won’t identify with what a Black person or a Latino experiences because they don’t walk in our shoes,” he said. “In my country there is racism. It might not be of the same dimension as in the United States, but it does exist. What doesn’t exist [in Costa Rica] is mistreatment of people of color by authorities.”

If you speak Spanish, please watch the whole video. Congratulations, Kendall. May this platform continue to grow for you.