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USMNT midfielder Weston McKennie has said he represents a country that “may not even accept me just because of the color of my skin.”
McKennie paid tribute to George Floyd during a Bundesliga match for former club Schalke while wearing a bracelet with the words “Justice for George”. Floyd, who is Black, died in police custody in Minnesota in May after a white police officer knelt on his neck for several minutes. The incident sparked Black Lives Matter protests in cities across the United States.
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The 22-year-old joined Serie A champions Juventus in the summer, but McKennie said he’s not happy with just making progress on the field and wants to highlight the issues of racism that continue to plague so many people.
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“This year at the beginning of the season we played, and the fans after the game would make monkey noises at me,” McKennie said in a video produced by Adidas. “It is devastating.
“I came home to Dallas and I’m scared to drive at night just because I don’t know what will happen if I get pulled over. I am representing a country that may not even accept me just because of my skin color.
“It’s definitely a bit heartbreaking. When I wore the bracelet, I felt like it was a duty and a responsibility: one being American and two being African American. I just felt the need to raise awareness abroad. I got a lot of support from I also hate that.
Together with you @WMckennie, we are #ReadyforChange! 💪 @ adidasfootball pic.twitter.com/6gbkHYlVzG
– JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) October 12, 2020
“‘You’re a soccer player, you shouldn’t be making political statements,’ and I’m just thinking in my head: ‘I don’t see how this is a political statement at all.’
“One person lost his life, I’m not going to shut up and haggle. I’m not going to make my opinions small just because people think I should play soccer.
“I don’t want to be known just as a great footballer. I want to be known as a great human being, as a great person and that’s what I’m starting to try to do, create my legacy. This version of me that I love.”
Floyd’s death came at a time when competitive sport was on hold around the world due to the coronavirus pandemic and Germany’s Bundesliga was the first to return to action, prompting McKennie to be the first. High profile footballer in paying tribute.
His gesture was followed by Borussia Monchengladbach’s Marcus Thuram, who knelt after scoring in his next match, and Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho, who wore a jersey with the words “Justice for George”.
Since then, various tributes have been shown in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement around the world, including in the Premier League, where players knelt after kick-off before each match.
McKennie is one of the young USMNT players who have joined big clubs in Europe, including Sergino Dest in Barcelona and Christian Pulisic in Chelsea.
Source: espn.co.uk
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