Retired NFL Saftey Usama Young shared a personal accounting of growing up as a black man in America. Young wrote an emotionally charged piece on ‘The Players’ Tribune’ in the first-person accounting on race relations. The article goes on to provide an in-depth look into the Super Bowl Champions’ life off the field.

 

The Players Tribune is a media platform founded by MLB player Derek Jeter. The site aims to provide an intimate conversation between players and their fans. The first person stories published directly from the athlete’s perspective offers a never before seen depth into the player’s life story.

Usama Young details a harrowing incident he experienced as a young black man when he moved to PG County, Maryland. Young detailed the experience to forever change his outlook on being black in American society.

The incident involved Young and his elder brother being pulled over by law enforcement under questionable conditions. Usama Young being only 12 at the time said that the experience of being judged by the skin of his color impacted him greatly. The police were unable to locate narcotics (which were never there in the first place) and told the young men to move along.

Usama Young: “We’re Just trying to get home”

Usama explained what it truly meant to be viewed as the hoodlum stereotypes that black men are subjected to.

“For 10 minutes, we sat there as people drove by rubbernecking at the “young black thugs.” It felt like an eternity. And then, after all that, the officers just took off the cuffs and told us to be on our way”

“Being 12 years old, I was just … shook. Helpless. That’s the only word for how you feel in that situation”.

The former NFL player also touched up the systemic nature of black oppression. So many years later, It appears that very little has changed.

“At that time, the police in PG County were notorious for pulling over young black men. We knew the deal. But we never expected to be cuffed and humiliated over nothing”.

Additionally, the former Raiders safety contemplates the future his children grow up in. One thing is certain there are tough conversations to be had in the future.

Racism and police brutality in the United States of America took the life of another African-American on Monday. George Floyd, a 46-year-old man, died after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on Floyd’s neck, while he was handcuffed and lying facedown on the street. In this video, recorded by bystanders, one could hear Floyd repeatedly saying, “I can’t breathe,” but the police did not bother. Naturally, a lot of NBA Stars reacted to it.

The police officers had arrested Floyd because he had allegedly committed forgery. All officers on the scene were fired the next day but family members of the victim believe they should be charged for murder. Six years ago, Eric Garner, another African-American man, was killed by the police after being put into a chokehold. Garner too was saying “I can’t breathe,” before he suffocated to his death. His mother said Floyd’s death felt like “deja vu” and it forced her to relive her son’s death.

“I haven’t been the same since I’ve seen it.”

Stephen Jackson shares how he found out his friend, George Floyd, was murdered by Minneapolis Police pic.twitter.com/j8GUjAQuej

— Master (@MasterTes) May 28, 2020

NBA players express anger and call for justice

Former NBA player Stephen Jackson was a close friend of Floyd. They have been friends since they met in the 90s and he called Floyd twin because they looked so similar. While speaking to the Today Show, Jackson revealed how he was devasted when he found out. “I haven’t been the same since I’ve seen it. It shut me down man, I screamed I scared my daughter and I was punching stuff,” Jackson said.

The most heartbreaking thing was when Jackson said how he found out about it. “My girlfriend’s mom sent me the video and I was thinking it’s just another black man getting murdered by the police,” Jackson said. He realized what happened later after receiving messages regarding the murder. Such incidents take place so often that one loses track of it.

Steph Curry wrote a long angry paragraph on Instagram which ended with “George was murdered. George wasn’t human to that cop that slowly and purposefully took his life away.”

As much as you pray for George family, gotta also pray for the police officer(s) who were involved in this evil. As hard as it is, pray for them instead of hate them…Pray that God changes their hearts.

— Michael Porter Jr (@MPJr) May 27, 2020

Michael Porter Jr tweeted in support but faced backlash over it. He might have tweeted it in good faith but Twitter users were upset by the latter half of his tweet.

Reggie Miller, Isaiah Thomas, and Jaylen Brown are few other players who voiced out their opinion on Twitter.

I’m scared for myself and my BLACK kids with SOME of these crazy people and cops… I hope to God they don’t get into some stuff and the cops come and possibly KILL them

— Isaiah Thomas (@isaiahthomas) May 26, 2020