Manchester City striker Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw clenched her right fist and raised her arm into the air.
Bowing her head as she did so, the 28-year-old celebrated the first of two goals she scored against Liverpool last Sunday with a poignant Black Power salute.
It was a powerful and significant anti-racism statement from Shaw, the Women’s Super League’s (WSL) top scorer this season on 11 goals, following racist and misogynistic abuse she was subjected to on social media following City’s 4-3 defeat to Arsenal on February 2.
The abuse directed at the Jamaica international made her decide to withdraw from playing against Arsenal in City’s late 2-1 away win in the Subway League Cup on February 6 to protect her mental health and wellbeing.
Shaw’s team-mates embraced her after she put them into the lead on the half-hour mark against Liverpool before she turned to the crowd and protested with the instantly recognisable salute.
Shaw will not feature in Jamaica’s international friendlies in Peru later this week due to game-load management, according to head coach Hubert Busby, but will likely be available for City when the WSL returns on March 2.
Shaw is the top goalscorer in WSL this season. (Lewis Storey/Getty Images)
Who is Khadija Shaw?
Shaw is Manchester City’s all-time top scorer with 88 goals in 102 games. Born in Spanish Town, Jamaica, Shaw captains her national team and is their all-time top-scorer with 57 goals in 44 appearances.
The 6ft (183cm) striker known as ‘Bunny’, a nickname given to her by older brother Kentardo due to her love of carrots, spent two years at Eastern Florida State College before transferring to the University of Tennessee in 2017. It was playing for the Tennessee Volunteers where Shaw made the switch from midfielder to centre-forward. In 2018, she featured for semi-professional outfit Florida Krush.
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Khadija Shaw: My Game In My Words
And instead of entering the NWSL Draft as many teams hoped she would, Shaw signed for French top-flight side Bordeaux in 2019. Her final season in France saw her score 22 goals in 20 games and she brought that form to England when completing a move to City in 2021.
From her time in Manchester, Shaw has a League Cup winners’ medal and a number of personal accolades, including WSL Player of the Season and Golden Boot awards for the 2023-24 campaign. She is already one of the best players to ever grace the WSL.
What is the Black Power salute and why is it significant?
The Black Power salute has great historical significance when it comes to protesting racial injustice.
During the 1968 Olympics, at the height of the civil rights movement, U.S. athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos made the salute on the podium in Mexico City after being given their gold and bronze medals following the men’s 200m race.
Olympic sprinter medalists Tommie Smith and John Carlos protested against racial injustice in the United States at the 1968 Games. (Bettmann / Getty Images)
Smith and Carlos each wore a black glove on one hand, bowed their head and raised a clenched fist. The image became an important one of defiance against the oppression of Black people in the U.S. The pioneering Smith and Carlos’s protests resulted in death threats and years of abuse.
The lasting impact, however, is still felt to this day. They have and continue to inspire multiple generations of athletes to use their podiums and platforms to raise awareness for injustice and help bring about social change.
What did Shaw say after the match?
During her post-match interview with Sky Sports, Shaw focused on the joy of being back on the scoresheet after scoring a brace in the 4-0 win.
“(It was) definitely good to get back on the scoresheet after a tough couple of days,” Shaw said. “But the team did well and I am happy to keep scoring.”
Khadija Shaw was the WSL’s top scorer in 2023-24 and is leading the way again this season (Lewis Storey/Getty Images)
What has the reaction been like?
Kick It Out, an organisation that has been working to tackle racism and discrimination within football since 1993, are fully behind Shaw.
“Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw’s Black Power salute is a powerful statement not just in a stand against racism but racism directed towards a Black woman,” Hollie Varney, Kick It Out’s chief operating officer said in a statement shared with The Athletic.
“Her decision to take time away from the game after the abuse she received also demonstrates her power to take control of her own welfare. That can be empowering for others, too. The gesture is also a stark reminder of the lasting impact of abuse on players.
“Last season, reports of online abuse to Kick It Out more than doubled. As women’s football continues to thrive and grow, it’s more crucial than ever that steps are taken to protect the players. The Online Safety Act (a piece of legislation passed in the UK in October 2023 aimed at protecting people online and holding social media companies to account for the content posted on its platforms) is a step forward but only if it’s enforced to better protect players and hold social media platforms accountable.”
Earlier this month, former Arsenal and England goalscorer Ian Wright sent his support to Shaw via an Instagram story where he called the cycle of racism “exhausting”.
“Don’t have the fight left to go sit on f****** shows and tables trying to convince or explain or educate these people that it’s racism. They do not care,” Wright wrote. “I’m not telling people especially young people that it’s going to get better, rather let’s get them ready for it because it’s coming.”
In response to her celebration, City manager Gareth Taylor called the moment “powerful”. “She’s a proud Black woman and where she is from means a lot to her,” Taylor said, speaking to Sky Sports. “We will always support her and the reaction of the crowd meant a lot to her.”
A young Liverpool fan held up a cardboard sign with a message that read: “We take a stand with Bunny Shaw. Racism is not welcome in football. Be kind.”
“It was incredible,” Shaw’s team-mate Lauren Hemp told Sky Sports after the game. “Bunny has been through a lot recently, so it’s great for her and it’s great for us to see her back scoring goals, like she always has done.”
Arsenal defender Lotte Wubben-Moy called the abuse directed at Shaw “unacceptable”. “I stand with Bunny and every individual facing racism in their day-to-day lives. In the current political landscape, the power of sport to unite, educate and break down barriers is crucial. We’ve had all these years of campaigns but we need more action. Our institutions need to do better,” an Instagram story written by Wubben-Moy read.
England and Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Mary Earps echoed Wubben-Moy’s words when speaking to Sky Sports.
“I was really upset to hear that,” Earps said. “But I think it is fair for Bunny to withdraw herself (from the League Cup game). It’s a real shame that it had to come to that but if that’s what she felt she needed to do to kind of protect her peace and protect herself in some way — maybe peace isn’t the right word — but I think she has every right to do that and set that boundary and take some time.
“And hopefully we can find ways to better protect players from racism. I can’t pretend to know what that feels like but I hope I can help in some way.”
Khadija Shaw scores the second of her two goals against Liverpool (Matt McNulty/Getty Images)
What has the Women’s Super League said?
The WSL released a statement on February 5 in which they showed solidarity with Shaw as well as Chelsea captain Millie Bright, who had posted on social media to say that she was verbally abused during Chelsea’s 1-0 away win over Aston Villa.
“We are shocked and saddened to hear about the incidents that occurred over the weekend relating to Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw and Millie Bright,” the statement read.
“Players, coaches and officials should be able to do their job without being subjected to abuse, either in person or online, and there is no place for it within women’s football or wider society. We are speaking to both clubs and offering any support they might need.”
What happens next?
Man City reported the racist and misogynistic abuse targeted at Shaw with an investigation to follow. The club said they were appalled by what Shaw was subjected to.
“Discrimination of any kind, either in stadiums or online, will not be tolerated and has absolutely no place inside or outside the game,” a club statement read. “Bunny has decided not to share the messages publicly so as not to give the oxygen of publicity to the vile individuals who sent them. The content has been shared with the authorities. An investigation will follow, and the club offers our full support to Bunny following the disgusting treatment she’s received.”
Shaw will not be in action for Jamaica in their back-to-back friendlies against Peru on February 23 and 26 during the upcoming international break. She has been left out of the 24-player squad by manager Hubert Busby, who told reporters in a press conference earlier this week that her absence was due to game-load management.
Her recent start against Liverpool was the first time she has started a game since she suffered a leg injury in early December.
“(Sunday) was her first start in 2025. She’s been out for a while and she’s had limited minutes,” Busby said. “She’s still a little bit on restrictions and so Manchester City is monitoring her progress in terms of her coming back in and obviously, we respect that as well.”
“Hopefully, once she’s completed that load management and is back to full 90-minute matches, we look forward to having her back in for next window.”
In her absence, City, who had been WSL title contenders, lost three league matches and fell out of the race with league leaders Chelsea. Shaw’s next game for City will be away to Tottenham Hotspur on March 2, with the fourth-placed side now focused on securing a top-three finish and Champions League qualification.
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Khadija Shaw: My Game In My Words
(Top photo: Martin Rickett/PA Images via Getty Images)
