The United States of America is still reeling in the wake of the alleged homicide of George Floyd by Caucasian policemen. Though Floyd did not possess any weapons, the four policemen used unnecessarily brutal force while apprehending him, causing his death. Naturally, many in America are outraged at the incident, and it only highlights that racism is never truly dead, unfortunately. Recently, San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman called out instances of everyday racism in America.
He wrote on Twitter, “My profession nor my education change the fact that I’m a black man in America and to that end I will continue to fight for equality for the ppl that are treated unjust in the country. And if that offends you or makes you uncomfortable then maybe we are starting to make progress.”
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It’s curious the way I’m treated in public when I have a mask on and when I don’t. When I wear a mask I feel the tension that I have felt since i was a child. I can feel the looks I get of ppl who assume I’m a threat. But when the mask comes off and suddenly I’m not a threat
— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) May 31, 2020
How is Richard Sherman calling out casual racism?
In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the majority of people have to wear face masks in public. However, Sherman noted that the masks are inadvertently helping spread the stigma against African-Americans. He believes that his status as an American football player is likely his only saving grace.
Of course, on the other side, the face masks unconsciously presents an image of people who are potential threats to society. For a normal person, this applies to everyone irrespective of the color of their skin. However, there are still Americans who subconsciously have that racial bias.
On some occasions, people often let their emotions get the better of them and use racist language. This happens especially when they are really angry. A notable example is NASCAR driver Kyle Larson, who hurled the N-word during an online race. He later apologized, but his reputation, and possibly his career, faced the brunt of his words.
Racism isn’t just limited to the African-American community either. Former F3 driver Santino Ferrucci and his father also made racist comments against Indian driver Arjun Maini, who was his teammate at the time.
Since Americans take their sports very seriously, it is sad to see even an NFL player is not immune. In the movie Mississippi Burning, a dialogue goes, “Baseball is the only game where a black man can wave a stick at a white man and not start a riot.”
Sherman’s experiment was interesting because when his identity was open, people recognized him. However, when he hid his identity behind a mask, everyone else’s masks fell off and they showed their true colors.
