Over the weekend, footage of a Black player from the Little League World Series wearing cotton on his head surfaced on ESPN. Many people found this act to be racially insensitive.
Roughly a day after this footage went viral, it was discovered that a white player from the Midwest Region team also had cotton placed in his hair.
“I hope this helps,” a Twitter user said. “They were all just having fun copying Lindor’s mohawk. The TV cam just caught it at an ironically bad time. Adults twisted this into something sinister, not the kids.”
A video of the players on the Midwest Region team having fun together also emerged on Twitter.
Here’s the latest photo from this controversial incident:
The Little League World Series has released a statement on this situation.
“During the broadcast of the MLB Little League Classic, a Midwest player was shown with filling from a stuffed animal given away at the game on his head. After speaking with the team, as well as reviewing photos, multiple players on the Midwest Region team were taking part in this while enjoying the game,” the statement read. “As only one player appeared on the broadcast, Little League International understands that the actions shown could be perceived as racially insensitive. We have spoken with the player’s mother and coaches, who have assured us that there was no ill-intent behind the action shown during the broadcast.”