‘Why We Kneel, How We Rise’ review: Voice against discrimination

Cricket icon Michael Holding on the dehumanising aspect of racism and what it is to be treated differently based on the colour of the skin

In his prime, he was the quintessential calm before the storm and that inspired umpire Dickie Bird to name him ‘Whispering Death’. Such was the stealth with which cricketer Michael Holding operated as a premier speed merchant from the Caribbean islands.

Following his retirement, the fast bowling legend became a superb commentator, speaking with depth in that droll West Indian accent. He recently quit commentary but at 67, Holding remains a voice of reason. As ever he leans on his dignity. When dinner conversations extended beyond the willow game, he would then say: “Look at what is happening in West Asia.” And when his daughter called from the U.S., he would step aside and become a doting father.

In a world where silence is preferred over forthright expression of thoughts about what affects mankind, Holding refuses to join the politically correct bandwagon but his candour is always steeped in civility. When the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement gathered momentum following the murder of George Floyd in the U.S., his neck wedged under policeman Derek Chauvin’s knee, Holding made an emotional speech about what it means to be Black and the discrimination that his race suffers.