George Floyd’s death while in police custody has sparked several protests and riots around the country, as well as a considerable number of conversations on social media. NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace responded to the situation with one simple question. He wanted to know what was going to change after this incident.
“S—s getting old… hell, its been old. [What the f—] is gonna change?! [prayer hands emoji],” Wallace wrote on Twitter, alongside the hashtag, “George Floyd.” He is the only African-American driver in NASCAR’s Cup Series and previously addressed an incident where fellow driver Kyle Larson used a racial slur during a live stream. Wallace said that Larson deserves a second chance, but saying a word is very different than the incident involving Floyd and now-fired police officer Derek Chauvin.
Videos by PopCulture.com
Fellow driver Daniel Suarez also commented on Floyd’s murder. He wondered when the prejudice will stop and said that “black people deserve better.” Several responded to Suarez and called for Chauvin to be convicted of third-degree murder and manslaughter charges while others hoped that the other three officers would also face charges.
“I feel pain, disappointment & anger everytime I see the horrible video of George Floyd pleading for his life. He deserved better, black people deserve better, humanity deserves better. We live in the 21st century. When will racism & prejudice stop?” Suarez tweeted in response to the video with the hashtags, “justice for Floyd” and the phrase, “I can’t breathe,” as said by Floyd in his last moments.
Wallace and Suarez are only two of the many public-facing athletes to call for change following Floyd’s death. There have been several athletes spread across the NFL, NBA and other leagues that have expressed outrage and sadness. Many have used the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag while calling for justice. Others have gone even further and proclaimed that there need to be major changes.
Former UFC star Ronda Rousey, for example, wants to see a public oversight committee for the police. She wrote on Instagram that this incident is a “violation of trust” and that the individuals behind Floyd’s death need to be tried and convicted. Rousey doesn’t know if the violation will be mended, but she believes that having an unbiased party overseeing the police and holding them accountable will be a benefit to everyone.
Colin Kaepernick, on the other hand, established a legal defense fund through Know Your Rights Camp. He partnered with lawyers in Minneapolis to provide legal resources to those arrested while protesting. The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback believes that it’s critical to support the “freedom fighters” in the area.
