Ashton Hewitt: Dragons wing says he will not let racism slide

Dragons wing Ashton Hewitt admits he has been in a bad place this week after being reminded of the dangers of racism in society.

Following the death of George Floyd in the United States, sports stars have joined society across the world in condemning police brutality and racism.

Hewitt's fellow Welsh sportsman, sprinter and Olympic hopeful Sam Gordon produced a video with BBC Sport Wales that spoke out about racism he had received growing up. The reaction it provoked demonstrated issues are still rife.

A comment on Twitter said Gordon "doesn't look Welsh", prompting Hewitt - and others - to react and the offending account was temporarily restricted and now has a warning on it.

It is a situation Hewitt has become all too familiar with.

"I was in quite a bad place on Wednesday because I exposed a tweet and it had quite a lot of attention," Hewitt told the Scrum V podcast.

"The vast majority of replies were positive and supportive, but there are people who chuck fuel on the fire with comments of racism and make the situation worse.

"When you are trying to address these issues, I bounce back and forth whether to attempt to educate the people on twitter because of the mental strain it can take.

"It has days where it hits you but I am trying to keep the mindset there is a problem that needs to be addressed."

Hewitt, 25, has insisted he is not prepared to put up with racism anymore.

"I have, and I am sure many young players from ethnic backgrounds have, put up with what is seen as banter and seen it as nothing," said Hewitt.

"I have been through that in my career. As I delve through deeper issues in history and what comes behind certain stereotypes, I see the importance of addressing it and not letting those stereotypes continue.

"I have been guilty of letting things slide, but at the time I did not think too much of it.

"When I was younger I did not feel I had the confidence to cause an upset in a predominantly white environment.

"Since I have got older and more educated on the history of racism, I have taken a view it can't be acceptable."

Educating team-mates

Hewitt admits he has even at times had to address the issue, often regarded as 'banter', with his team-mates.

"I have got to a stage where I am calling people out on it. I am not going to tolerate it and have taken a stance," said Hewitt.

"A lot of the boys might have come from the Valleys and don't have any experience of being in diverse environments.

"They need to be told why what they are saying is not acceptable.

Ashton Hewitt has made 84 appearances for Dragons after making his regional debut in 2013

"Sometimes it is hard now because I have accepted it in the past. It is hard for them to comprehend why am I being funny (objecting) about it now.

"You don't have to be aggressive because a lot of them don't understand the problem and it is just another 'joke'.

"They need to understand the seriousness of some of the things they say can cause offence. It can be upsetting and hurt people who are not comfortable to speak out about it.

"A few of the boys and coaches have asked me about it and it would always be good to have more chats. Some of those conversations have come around as a result of what is perceived as 'banter'."

Hewitt was born and brought up in Newport and is the son of of a Welsh mum and British Jamaican father. He admits his personal experiences growing up have shaped his strong view on racism.

"It needs to be harshly dealt with appropriately and give the message racism is unacceptable," said Hewitt.

"You are impacting someone. I experienced it as a kid going to the Valleys to play, although I am not saying I did not experience it also in the city.

"If we were winning somebody would be calling me something to do with my race and there was never really any major concern from the parents. That needs to be stamped out.

"Some young boy or girl from an ethnic background might not want to put up with that on a weekend while they are doing their hobby.

"That's another somebody missing out on the game because of people's ignorance and lack of understanding."

Still a lot to do

Dragons wing Ashton Hewitt has yet to be capped after being involved in Wales senior squads

While the focus has been on the demonstrations in America this week, Hewitt believes British society also has to look at itself.

"If you look at the magnitude of the issues we have today, there is no quick fix and it's something I get quite upset about," said Hewitt.

"We have made huge strides, but there is a long way to go.

"When you break it down in this country like America, ethnic minorities are unequal to white people. When you state the fact and the resistance there is to it, that shows how much we still have to do.

"I have had conversations with people on social media who still believe this is a made up thing, that black people are just moaning about and it is not real because they can't see it.

"Voicing opinions about issues in society is a lot more powerful when white people are agreeing there is an issue. It changes the argument a little when it is not just black people saying there is a race issue again.

"The more people who shed light and address racism the better. It should not be let to slide."