Recently, Denver Broncos wide receiver Von Miller wrote an article in The Times and called on the need for people to change. He confessed to having respiratory issues, so George Floyd’s death really hit him where it hurts. He also revealed the first time he was called a racial slur in elementary school and it still claws its way deep into his heart.

Miller revealed that he was fortunate to grow up in Dallas, especially in a tolerant area. He said, They provided for us, protected us, taught us and loved us. However they couldn’t protect us from the ugliness and sheer pervasiveness of racism. It’s everywhere and utterly unavoidable. After the world introduced me to racism while I attended elementary school, I encountered it again from a high school football coach.”

“I had to engage it several times in college—on and off campus. And now, despite living my childhood dream of playing in the NFL, I continue to experience the constant nightmare of racism. I donated a police vehicle to my hometown in 2016, but when I chose to take a knee for a single game in 2017 during the national anthem to protest racial inequality and police brutality, I received hate mail and lost endorsements.

Von Miller: The NFL is doing its part, but are the teams?

Miller applauded the NFL for officially backing Black Lives Matter and the right to peaceful protest. However, he acknowledged that it is up to the team owners to put league policy into action.

Miller wrote, “I have achieved celebrity, earned great wealth, reached the pinnacle of my profession. Yet, I am George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Tamir Rice, Eric Garner, Philando Castile, Alton Sterling, Oscar Grant, Trayvon Martin and Emmett Till.”

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He acknowledged that many knew that such an incident was inevitable. However, this is not just about one freak incident in Minneapolis. Instead, this is the collective rage that has been building up for years, decades, generations.

So, America can either confront it or refuse to admit that people are ‘ill’. Von Miller concluded, “This time may be different. I pray that it is different. This time, many of the protesters are not black, the entire country is engaged. The entire world has taken notice. We have really begun to talk with each other, not just “at” each other. If we can find the strength to come together as a people and fight for healing and change. Then together we can enjoy the sunshine of our American ideals. If we do not choose this course, we can expect the darkness to remain.”