In 2017, Former Collingwood Football Club star Héritier Lumumba appeared on The Project in a discussion that explored his experience with racism in the AFL.

Earlier this week, Collingwood Football Club held a press conference addressing the leaked ‘Do Better’ report that highlighter systemic racism within the club. The report found that Collingwood was guilty of “distinct and egregious” systemic racism and called for widespread structural change.

In 2013 whilst a member for the club, Lumumba publicly criticised Collingwood president Eddie McGuire following a despicable racist remark he made live on radio suggesting that former Sydney player Adam Goodes could be used to promote the King Kong musical in Melbourne.

These comments that prompted Lumumba to take an outspoken stance against toxic racism in the club and the league, which in turn resulted in renewed attention to his controversial 2017 interview on The Project.

Four years ago Lumumba took part in an hour-and-a-half interview with Waleed Ally in an attempt to illuminate the culture of racism that festers within AFL. It did not pan out that way. Instead, Lumumba was subject to a ruthless cross-examination; one in which he was badgered about the legitimacy of his personal experience with racism.

A Twitter thread penned by friend and comedian, Aamer Rahman has illustrated just how profoundly The Project and Australian media failed Lumumba.

“The conversation started out fine, but soon turned into a gruelling, circular cross-examination,” recalls Rahman, who accompanied Lumumba to the interview.

“The questions were bizarre. For example, if Heritier was telling the truth, why wouldn’t more players admit to a culture of racism at the club? Imagine staking a victim’s credibility on why none of their abusers had publicly admitted to their behaviour.”

Elsewhere in the thread, Rahman claims that The Project had colluded with Collingwood FC ahead of the interview. A conversation that saw the club cast doubt on Heritier’s credibility with claims that he had mental health issues.

“Waleed claimed early on that he didn’t have ‘Collingwood’s side of the story.’ This is simply not true,” explains Rahman. “I found out later that CFC had direct conversations with Waleed where they attacked Heritier’s credibility, claiming that he had mental health issues and an axe to grind.

“It was obvious later that this had a clear impact on the interview and the way The Project presented the story. An hour and a half of this brought Heritier to tears. Still, we hoped that Waleed was just being extra rigorous and the final edit would be good. It wasn’t.”

Following the one-on-one interview with Aly, Lumumba took part in a panel interview with the rest of The Project hosts. In the segment, he was subjected to grossly-insensitive questioning by host Peter Helliar, who cast doubt on Lumumba’s personal experience of racism — mercilessly drilling him about claims he was given the racist nickname “chimp.”

“Heritier has the opportunity to become a really strong, significant voice in the battle against racism with the AFL and Australian sport,” Helliar said during the segment. “My only thing — it would be really helpful if we heard more detail, specifically with the nickname.”

Helliar went on to allege that the club could not confirm that Lumumba was ever subjected to the nickname. “We can’t find anyone who would speak to us who knew of that nickname over a playing career of 10 years,” he said.

He then went on to accuse Lumumba of “smearing an entire club.”

“Even if you have to name names, take us into your experience. Paint the picture so we understand it more. Because if you don’t do that, then it just sounds like you’re smearing an entire club.”

In an interview with ABC in December last year, Lumumba reflected on his experience on The Project. “I thought The Project would be an opportunity to finally put my story forward on a mainstream platform,” Lumumba mused. “That interview killed all the momentum that had started to build around my story.”

Over the past week, the disastrous interview resurfaced on social media, prompting a desperate apology from Peter Helliar. “I urge all fans & members to demand better from @CollingwoodFC,” Helliar tweeted on Tuesday morning. “This report is heartbreaking. To @iamlumumba I am truly, unequivocally sorry. I should have believed you. I will do better.”

Lumumba has since revealed that he has been asked to appear on The Project again, but declined. You can read Rahman’s in-depth dissection of the interview below.

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