Olympic gold medalist Simone Manuel joined the chorus of voices calling for change in the aftermath of the killing of 46-year-old unarmed man George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer this week.
Manuel, along with only a small handful of professional swimmers, took to social media to voice her reaction to the killing, which is the latest in a growing list of black men, arrested for minor crimes, who have died while in police custody. In particular, his death is being compared to that of Eric Garner, who died after being placed in a chokehold by an officer during a 2014 arrest in Staten Island.
Floyd was arrested last Monday after he allegedly used a counterfeit bill at a convenience store, and died as officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck while at three others were present. Bystander video of the scene went viral, and the killing has set off protests demanding action in cities around the country over the last few days.
All officers who were present have been fired from the Minneapolis Police Department, and Chauvin has been arrested and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.
Manuel posted the following on Instagram:
“Days feel heavy and long. It’s hard not to feel or think about the sadness and hatred that weighs heavily on me, my people, and this nation. I’m hurt. I’m tired. We’re hurt. We’re tired. I think it’s always hard to find the right words as they are as scattered and divided as this country. There’s too much to say, but not nearly enough time or energy to express this sad reality. We’re not all in this together!! How far have we really come? Times change. Calendar dates change, but racism still remains. If we want a better country, we ALL must fight for equality and justice. No one escapes the bonds of injustice. No one! It doesn’t matter what side you’re on. We all lose when we fail to address the root of the problem. Here goes: •
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THE PAST STILL LIVES IN THE PRESENT!
This is generational.
It’s not just about death.
It’s about killing our spirits.
It’s about killing our dreams.
It’s about making us feel less than.
It’s about dismissing and ignoring our pain.
It’s about silencing our voice.
It’s about punishing us when we use our voice and labeling us as “angry” or a “threat” rather than acknowledging we’re exercising our “freedom of speech.”
It’s about calling the police and using my skin color against me.
It’s about clinching your purse.
It’s about believing we don’t belong.
It’s about failing to acknowledge and understand my very existence, my pain.
It’s about repeating the sins of the past.
It’s about thinking that skin color affords ones privileges or denies basic human dignity!
It’s about speaking against instead of with our fight for justice.
It’s about remaining silent.
This needs to be everybody’s fight! •
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The words “freedom”, “justice,” and “equality” are uttered by many, BUT do we really experience it? No! We have yet to experience it collectively as a nation, and we won’t until we all come together and fight for it… until we’re actually “all in this together.” •
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If this makes you uncomfortable, check your privilege. Think of those who lack comfort EVERY👏🏾SINGLE👏🏾DAY👏🏾”
Manuel, 23, became the first black woman to win an individual Olympic medal when she won the 100 free in Rio four years ago. Throughout her career, she’s often spoken on issues regarding race, and in 2016 told the New York Times that she “carries the weight of the black community” with her, but hopes one day not to be known as “Simone the black swimmer.”
Manuel is joined by U.S. National Team member Natalie Hinds and fellow Olympic gold medalist Katie Ledecky in commenting publicly on the situation.
Hinds – via the LEAD Sports Summit Instagram, which said that members of the LEAD team will be donating to “organizations that are actively working to improve our communities by fighting racism” – said, “It’s my duty to provoke change. Even if it’s one person and spread from there.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CA0pD0agMB8/
In a message shared on multiple of her social media accounts, Ledecky wrote, in part: “To my teammates, friends and community: I am here for you. I am here to listen and to comfort. I am here to engage in uncomfortable conversations. And I am here to vote.”
Instead of wasting my time “expressing myself” I’m going to find a long project to volunteer in my community. At the end of the day nobody really cares what we have to say, we are remembered by what we do.
Systemic or institutional racism is a real thing. The “racially” charged events of the last few weeks, let alone years, decades and generations, highlight the corrosive effects of this profound defect in our society. George Floyd was mistreated the way he was in Minneapolis, Minnesota, precisely because of the color of his skin and Derek Chauvin’s, Tou Thao’s, J. Alexander Keung’s and Thomas Lane’s imbedded fears and beliefs about people who look like Mr. Floyd. Christian Cooper was mistreated the way he has in Central Park, New York City, precisely because of the color of his skin and Amy Cooper’s imbedded fears and beliefs about people who look like Mr. Cooper. Ahmaud Arbery was mistreated the way he was in… Read more »
Fine. US should fix it’s own problems before lectulectungrting & sanctioning other ppls who does not fall into line . See you in 10 or 15 ( years ) !
What is the media gonna push when we are all mixed?
For the record, this is a different Jay. Get over yourself.
Simone also needs to d o more work on her Nike Diversity role . The vids I saw of the Nike store being looted were all by blacks . I cannot deny it was very entertaining & certainly my no2 vid of the night .
How is looting entertaining? Does it make a dent in Nike’s corporate profits? No. Does it completely screw over the low wage workers there struggling in the pandemic to stay afloat? Yes. If that’s entertainment to you, you’ve just compounded the crime.
Why would you bring race into it, unless you were either racist or baiting. Which is it?
The looters are from all colors and ethnicities. They are being bused in with written instructions.
Educate yourself please before commenting with such an inappropriate comment.
Longhorn, Nike CEOs could make the decision to financially support any employee that cannot work their normal hours due to riots. But they won’t and that is emblematic of the entire problem.
Breezeway, you’re absolutely correct that looters are all colors and ethnicities but totally wrong that they’re being bussed in. There is no evidence of this outside of perhaps some literal fake news sites. Furthermore, these protests are happening NATIONWIDE. There’s no need to bus anyone anywhere to get to the demonstration. It also undermines the fact that this is the result of decades of oppression and George Floyd was the final straw.
And what does Trump do while America burns? Hides in a bunker under the White House.
How will voting change things? A look at Hennepin County shows it as extreme Democrat Territory. In 2016 as,Minnesota was quite close D 46.9 R 45.4 . , this county went 63.8 – 28.5 .( McMuffin 1.8 ! ) .
All of the state position are D . GOV & lieutenant Gov , Sec of State, State Auditor, Attorney General,
The Federal Senators are D .
The Congress Critter is Ilhan Omar ( 78 – 21.7 .) by an urban mile.
So where is there factors for this change ? Seems to me to be pretty set in their ways in Minnie.
“Critter” — interesting choice of words. I see you.
Corn pop: Now you understand why there are riots. The democrats won’t fix this and LOL if you think the republicans won’t actively make it worse. You can only push people so far and for so long before rioting is the result. This has been proven time and time again throughout history.
So you made my point . Voting will not change this . Riots are not a revolution .
Just wondering if any white people have died in similar circumstances,
I will give you just two recent examples you will hardly hear about in mainstream media; 59 year old women gunned down in her driveway in Dallas on May 25 during attempted highjacking by 16 year old who day later stole another vehicle and bragged about this on social media, Deleware couple shot execution style at cementary while visiting grave of their son on May 8. In 2016 there were 21 police officers killed by ambush attacks, those slaines police officers came from various ethnic groups and social backgrounds. Additional 8 were killed in ambush in 2017, 11 in 2018, Unfortunately what we see in this country is ever escalating vicious cycle of violence with no resolution in sight. What… Read more »
And when police officers are killed, the cop killers are apprehended quickly and get life (if not the death penalty). Then they’re beaten and literally tortured while in prison. That doesn’t happen when cops are the ones murdering. Do you see the double standard? This is just part of why people are so righteously angry.
Plenty, but it’s not used to riot, loot menace etc etc
Thank you Simone, Natalie and Katie for speaking out. Discrimination is very bad and NEEDS to stop. People may have stopped it many years ago, but we often don’t realize that it is still happening. And violence is not the way to go. We all need to peacefully speak out and make a change. You cannot fight fire with fire.
Racism exists when one becomes aware of one’s own race. I am proud of my race.
How can you be proud of something you did not achieve, but simply born into!!!!
So you’re not proud of your family?
I can’t say how much I appreciate this elite swimmer bringing this issue up in a community that, compared to other sports, can be often removed from it. Our team meeting on Thursday night was to be about return to the water, but the weight of what we have hanging over from us, and see right across from us, takes precedent over all of that.
It is literally still smoldering across the street from my pool, and our swimmers have been out cleaning the streets and helping business owners.
Our pool has had windows shattered on the eve of possible resumption of swimming. And our team has been packing meals and picking up extra supplies from supporters further… Read more »
Were you this upset in 2017 when Justine Damon was shot dead by a local Somali rookie cop ? Her family had to come over from Australia to try & get justice . They had no legal eagle team , no Minneapolis admin or political support , a non co operative police & it took 8 months to get a 3rd degree murder charge .. You voted all these ppl back in . You are all just hypocrites & scurrying now that the world sees w h at a sad lot you are .
The word you’re looking for is sheeple, not hypocrites. 24/7 CNN/MSNBC/NYT rots your brain.