Baggies defender George Campbell has been speaking about the importance of education and some of his inspirations to mark Black History Month.
This year’s theme in the United Kingdom is "Standing Firm in Power and Pride," which recognizes the strength and resilience of Black communities globally.
The United States international, who signed for Albion in the summer from MLS outfit CF Montreal, grew up in Pennsylvania before his family relocated to Atlanta ahead of his teenage years – a city known for its diversity.
Campbell revealed he was regularly encouraged by his parents to educate himself on important matters in the world, such as Black history and history in general.
And George says he thinks the month offers people the opportunity to learn about a number of significant topics.
He said: “I think it’s important to have discussions about Black History Month and about race, diversity and equality in general.
“When I was growing up my parents would always want to give me these small history lessons. The lessons wouldn’t just be about the history of the United States or Black History Month, the lessons would include information about life in general throughout the years.
“As a young kid, I wouldn’t always love doing things like this, but they’d take me to Black history museums and they’d give me books to read about the history of black people and history in general.
“I think history is really important and that’s one of my biggest messages to even close friends of mine. I’ll have debates with them about all kinds of different topics. History is important because it allows us to realise why things are the way they are.
“It’s not just Black History Month, but, in general, I was raised to be aware of why things are the way they are and learn about where everyone comes from.
“I’ve witnessed racism and I’ve seen other friends of mine go through it more so than I have. As a kid you don’t always perhaps understand the insults, but as you get older and wiser, you understand a lot more.
“There would be times as a kid where words would get thrown around and some kids would laugh. Maybe I would think it was funny at the time, but as you get older, you realise certain things are annoying and offensive.
“I moved to Atlanta and there’s more diversity there and more black people. Doing that and developing at a teenage age there helped me understand what was happening and what had been said in my younger years.
“There was a real sense of community in Atlanta and I really felt that. There are so many people in the Atlanta community that I looked up to, regardless of what they did for a living.”
The 24-year-old was quick to point to his parents and grandparents when quizzed on some of the biggest influences on his life.
Campbell added: “When thinking about black people I know who have achieved great things, immediately my mind goes to my parents and my grandparents.
“My mom went to a HBCU, which historically is a majority-black college or university in the United States. My dad worked at one. My grandma was a president of one, while my grandpa was also a president of a university.
“My parents and my grandparents are a huge inspiration to me in terms of wanting to educate myself on a whole host of topics and being able to look up to them.
“I felt a tiny bit of pressure when I was younger because I wanted to do well in school and not be a disappointment, but all four of them certainly come to mind when thinking about inspirations.”
On the pitch, George has played in all 13 of Albion’s opening games in 2025/26 having never experienced English football before in his career.
The American referenced the “demands” and the “intensity” when describing the differences between the MLS and the Championship, insisting he’s loved his first few months at The Hawthorns.
Campbell added: “A lot of people ask me about the MLS and about the Championship and the differences between the two.
“There are lots of great players in both leagues, but I would say here with relegation and promotion, there are higher stakes and that's what fuels this league and football in this country.
“The high stakes, the pressure and demand to win from the fans, the club and each other, I would say that’s what drives the intensity every day in training and in games.
“You have to go into duels hard, compete at the best level every single time and be focused every single day.
“On an individual point, I want to learn as much as I can and grow into the team as much as I can. I work as hard as I can every day because I want to improve and continue to get better.
“Playing at right-back is a different physical game to playing at centre-back in terms of running, but there’s also the tactical element of it too. I’ve grown up trying to play in every single position so I can be ready to play wherever I am needed.
“I’ve played on the right side, the left side, the centre of defence and even in midfield before over in the MLS. I try to be versatile and I want to help the team in whatever way possible.
“It’s a long season, but being together with the guys and sticking together as a family on the pitch is good and important.
“I’ve really enjoyed so much of my time here already, both on and off the pitch. I want to keep playing games and keep improving and I’m determined to do that.”
