The anti-racism campaigner and founder of Kick It Out, Herman Ouseley, has died aged 79 after a short illness.
Lord Ouseley was the chair of Kick It Out for 25 years, from its launch in 1993 as a campaign called Let’s Kick Racism Out of Football. He never received any money for his work for the charity.
He was appointed as a member of the House of Lords in 2001, where he sat as an independent peer.Kick It Out confirmed Ouseley’s death in a statement, describing the campaigner as a “titan” in tackling discrimination in football.
“Lord Ouseley’s vision to set up Kick It Out was the first true structural change in football to take on a problem that had blighted the game for decades,” it said.
“Fans and participants are now more aware of discrimination and how to challenge it, which is a legacy of the tenacity and vigour he showed in ensuring football continued to change. We owe him a huge debt of gratitude and vow to continue that legacy for the benefit of future generations.”
Tributes poured in from racial equality campaigners and across sport and politics after the announcement of his death.
The foreign secretary, David Lammy, said: “Herman made an outstanding contribution to race relations in our country, moving us on from platitudes and stereotypes to genuine engagement on issues below the surface of multiculturalism. Always thoughtful and creative, I valued his counsel as a young MP. May he rest in peace.”
The Football Association described Ouseley as a “trailblazer in English football, having the original vision for Kick It Out, and he played a hugely inspirational role in tackling discrimination across our game while advocating for underrepresented and disadvantaged communities”.
Ouseley was unafraid to speak truth to power. In 2018, he criticised senior figures from Chelsea, the FA and the Premier League, for failing to condemn racism directed against Raheem Sterling by a fan.
Shortly after the furore, he announced his retirement and called on leaders in football to “show they are capable of bringing about lasting change” and urged them to “take a dynamic and coherent approach to meeting the equality challenges”.
Ouseley was also the chair and chief executive of the Commission for Racial Equality from 1993 to 2000 and chief executive of the London Borough of Lambeth. The Labour MP Diane Abbott, paying tribute , described Ouseley as “a pioneer at the top levels of local government”.
Ouseley migrated to Britain from Guyana with his family in 1957. He studied at Catford College in Lewisham and gained a Municipal Management diploma.
He was knighted in 1997 for services to local government and community relations in Great Britain. Ouseley was awarded 13 honorary degrees from universities across the UK in recognition of his contribution to education, anti-racism and local government developments.
The former footballer and anti-racism campaigner Troy Townsend paid tribute to Ouseley on X, writing: “No one told the truth like Herman told the truth. I owe you a debt of gratitude for everything you did for me, for football & society. May your pain be no more.”
John Amaechi, the coach and former basketball player, described Ouseley as “a remarkable man” and an “activist, campaigner, defender of human dignity”.
The anti-racism body Race Council Cymru said: “We are saddened to hear of the passing of a remarkable man Lord Herman Ouseley and we join a whole host of community members to mourn his passing. He was a truly great Black leader who is hailed as ‘a giant of a man in the field of race equity.’”
“He will be sorely missed. Our hearts go out to his family and friends. We are thankful that we had the opportunity to honour him with an Icon award here in Wales in 2018. Rest in peace and power Lord Herman Ouseley.”
