Black History Month: Elliot Barr speaks on Black soccer history and Black supporters culture

As we close out Black History Month, we have a special episode of the Stars & Stripes FC Podcast dedicated to one supporter who is using his platform to tell the stories that need telling. Elliot Barr is the co-host of the Can I Kick It Podcast, which tells the stories of Black athletes, coaches, and owners that have impacted the game of soccer on and off the pitch.

Since Juneteenth 2020, he and his co-host Chenier Durand II have brought stories and interviews about some of the great Black players in soccer history that aren’t getting the shine they deserve. They won’t discuss Pelé, they want to discuss the stories that people forget about and that have collected dust over time. The two are members of River City Red Army, a Richmond Kickers supporters group, and they cover the team and USL League One action on their second podcast, River City 93.

We start out by discussing the Can I Kick It podcast and his motivation for starting it. We touch on some of the stories that he enjoyed the most, discuss the black supporters culture that has developed over the years, and we get into the conversation of teams and leagues failing to do the bare minimum when it comes to reaching out to Black communities and supporting Black History Month or its players.

Finally, we get into the creation of the most unique and coolest rivalry in all of American soccer: the Henny Derby between the Richmond Kickers and Forward Madison. It comes with a great time, it’s supporter initiated and backed, and who wouldn’t want this trophy?

Elliot has grown to become one of several leaders in supporters culture over the past few years. He has collaborated with so many others in growing soccer support with Black fans, making them feel included in the conversation, and using his voice and platform to continue to push teams and leagues to do more to connect with their local Black community. His words should be listened to by everyone, and he speaks in great detail about how we make the supporters culture more inviting for people of color in the United States.

Find Can I Kick It wherever you get your podcasts, and subscribe! And don’t forget to rate and review this podcast after you’re done with this important and thrilling interview.

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For more Black History Month stories, check out our Black History Month hub. We will be bringing a story each day this month to highlight some of the biggest moments in black American and world soccer history.