Ex-Collingwood star Heritier Lumumba claims he turned to magic mushrooms to deal with racism
Heritier Lumumba has taken aim at Eddie McGuire and Nathan Buckley and claims he took magic mushrooms to cope with racism at the Magpies. And former teammates have jumped to his defence.
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Collingwood premiership player Heritier Lumumba has claimed he took magic mushrooms to cope with the racism he was subjected to at the Magpies.
Lumumba, 33, demanded the AFL and Collingwood apologise for inadequately handling the taunts that plagued his 10 years at the club and damaged his mental health.
Lumumba bravely called out Magpies president Eddie McGuire in 2013, after McGuire suggested on Triple M that Sydney champion Adam Goodes could be used to promote the King Kong musical.
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Lumumba lashed coach Nathan Buckley on Tuesday for failing support him at the time.
“I spoke out against McGuire’s racism and was ostracised internally for doing so, particularly from Buckley, who stated, ‘You threw the president under the bus’,” Lumumba said.
“They viewed what I did as wrong, and remained unapologetic about it, and as a result I was treated differently, for worse.
“Without a support network within the club/league that could cater to my specific needs, I used psilocybin (mushrooms) out of desperation to deal with my distressed state, which subsequently helped me confront (Collingwood) over the issues.”
Lumumba said he was nicknamed ‘Chimp’ from 2005-13, and that only stopped after he said in a team meeting the Magpies’ culture conflicted with both his human rights and workplace rights.
Former teammate Andrew Krakouer has vouched that he witnessed players calling Lumumba ‘Chimp’.
Lumumba’s nine-point post to 55,000 followers on Facebook was followed up by frustration that ESPN reported the story under the headline: “Lumumba savages club in online statement”.
Lumumba wrote in a second post: “This is exactly what we mean. We are synonymous with savagery in the eyes of whiteness. An African speaking the truth – of his own experience with being dehumanised – is linked to savagery.
“That is our reality; we are still seen as savages”.
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The 2010 All-Australian, who now lives in Los Angeles, said McGuire, Buckley and AFL boss Gillon McLachlan were all “negligent” and “made aspersions on my mental health” as his teammates stayed silent.
Former teammates Chris Egan and Shae McNamara supported Lumumba.
McNamara said the racism at Collingwood was “messed up” and that, unlike others, he did not find it funny.
“I rolled my eyes,” McNamara said.
Egan said: “I came out publicly in your defence via social media brother, it’s a problem within every league within Australia. Keep being a voice brother because one thing we won’t do is remain silent anymore.”
The Magpies declined to comment.
Lumumba was traded to Melbourne at the end of 2014. He played 24 games for the Demons before retiring due to concussion problems.
Originally published as Ex-Collingwood star Heritier Lumumba claims he turned to magic mushrooms to deal with racism