In light of George Floyd’s death, many have come forward and addressed the bigger issue at hand, racism. Recently, NASCAR veteran, Jimmie Johnson posted a heartfelt message on Instagram on the matter. In response, 6-time Formula One world champion, Lewis Hamilton acknowledged Johnson’s plea.

In fact, Johnson and several of his NASCAR contemporaries featured in that video message. Each driver featured in the video, called for a drastic change. Bubba Wallace started off the video, saying that racers are used to moving fast. However, the drivers acknowledged that they need to ‘slow down and reflect’.

What did Jimmie Johnson and the other NASCAR drivers say?

They also said that all the incidents of the past few weeks, indicates that the United States has a long way to go. The deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, have broken millions of hearts. The drivers called for people to listen and learn, because when people understand the issue, they can try and fix it.

Once they get to the bottom of the issue, people can use the information to make a change. This applies for not just the nation, but also the community and even one’s own home. The drivers insisted that they all have a responsibility to not stay silent.

They also acknowledged that the journey is long, but Jimmie Johnson and his fellow drivers insisted that they are in this together.

Coming back to Johnson, he mentioned in a video conference, “I want to have a voice, and I do want to stand up for injustices. So, I’ve been trying to find my voice, and I think part of that journey is to educate myself. And then I’ve been very deep in that and trying to learn and educate. I’ve been on the phone with friends of mine like [NASCAR driver] Bubba Wallace, other friends of color and race that I’ve known through the years, and just checking in, trying to understand, and asking them deeper questions that haven’t come up in our relationship so far.”