Ex-Collingwood star Heritier Lumumba has hit out at the club again in a Twitter post for wanting to take his demand for a public apology behind closed doors.
The now 33-year old made claims this week that he was racially vilified during his time at the Magpies, blasting them in an emotional social media post before penning a powerful open letter to his former teammates.
Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley addressed the matter following Thursday night's draw against Richmond, admitting he felt 'uncomfortable' by Lumumba's accusations.
"I think everyone has been impacted and had their eyes opened by the events over in America, and it's definitely shone a light on the same issues of systemic racism in our culture," Buckley told reporters.
"Clearly the thing that needs to be spoken about is โฆ we have a disgruntled ex-player in this particular issue of racism.
"I speak for the club generally but I have to speak for myself. I'm not comfortable with the fact Harry, sorry, Heritier, feels like he's been belittled and diminished in our environment.
"I haven't spoken to 'H' since 2014 (but) I'd love to speak to him again."
Buckley added: "I'd love to have him come to his old football club and to see what we have become," he said.
"The culture of acceptance, the celebration of difference โ no matter your colour, your religion, whatever your upbringing has been โ we've actually been able to grow as an environment.
"We were growing when he was there โ and he was a big part of it โ and we're still growing.
"I'm really proud of the club we are now and I'd love to share that with him, because he's been a big part of that.
"I'll continue to try and reach out to listen to him, to see if there's something we can do about how he has felt about his experiences at the club."
But Lumumba is not having any of it, refusing to sit down with the club privately and demanding an apology in an open sphere.
Lumumba's response on Twitter
- Interesting that Collingwood is now shifting its narrative to claim that they are trying to 'reach out' to me. Let me very clear: I have no intention of sitting down with anyone until they publicly acknowledge some fundamental facts.
- Why a public acknowledgement? Because I have been discredited publicly. I don't want a private handshake. I want justice for how I was treated. That includes correcting public denials about my account of the racism & isolation I faced.
- How can Nathan Buckley claim he โdidn't hear' the โchimp' nickname? I sat through a torturous, 8-hour, 1-on-1 mediation with him, where I had to explain to him why I was affected? How can I take him on his word now? He is yet to correct the record?
- Collingwood needs to acknowledge the following: They did not have the cultural competence and organisational literacy to deal with a real culture of racism at the club, of which I was a victim for a number of years.
- Following Eddie McGuire's racist comments about Adam Goodes, I was barred from speaking to him. When I took to social media to voice my disappointment, I was punished and isolated within the club.
- I was excluded from leadership meetings and suddenly dropped from the leadership group without a reasonable explanation. I was ultimately forced out of the club. In my final meeting, I was told it was because I had โthrown the president under the bus.'
- In short, I was punished as a Black man for daring to stand up for myself against slurs from my own teammates. I was punished for being upset that my club president had associated an Indigenous champion of the game with an ape as a joke on radio.
- Collingwood is making statements about their โgrowth.' But this has dragged out over 6yrs because they have refused to take the step of acknowledging that my account of my experience was true. Growth means accountability. Reconciliation without accountability is not possible.
- Only 2 nights ago, Eddie McGuire made a comment effectively implying that I was somehow โinvolved' in the culture that gave me a racist nickname. Can I really believe that he's acting in good faith?
- I don't have a team of lawyers, or PR and media people managing this for me. All I have is my truth, and I will not compromise it.
