Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Josh Hader is expected to undergo sensitivity training after tweets he made seven years ago surfaced that included racist and homophobic comments.
YWCA of Southeastern Wisconsin Racial Justice Director Martha Barry has seen the issue of race come more front and center in recent years.
“It's bigger than baseball it's bigger than any one of us. It's not about racial sensitivity, it's about unlearning racism,” Barry said.
“Our country has been battling and trying to figure out about race and racism for a long time. It's probably more out in the open now,” she also said.
Like in the case of Hader, Brewers radio announcer Jeff Levering says the driving force behind it is social media.
“Unfortunately this is the era in which we live in, there is no statute of limitations on anything,” he said. “Everything that you san can and will resurface at some point.”
“If you're an active social media user you probably have a lot of things that you said some of which you may have said in the heat of the moment,” he also said.
That’s where the mandated training will come in for Hader. It’s unclear the methods the MLB or the Brewers will use, but Barry Envisions something like this.
“Engage their heart and mind and what are their belief systems and what do they need,” she said. “To learn and unlearn.”
The YWCA offers the course “Unlearning Racism: Tools for Action” throughout the year.
Along with the sensitivity training, Hader is also expected to undergo diversity and inclusion initiatives.
