Sports is part of the answer in Nigel’s mind.  By engaging in sports with people of diverse backgrounds, we can get to know each other in ways which encourage understanding and tolerance of cultural differences. Nigel is a sports-loving gentle soul, even listening to spa music in the background while we talked.  Having graduated from Maynard Jackson High School in 2019, Nigel lives in Southeast Atlanta with his mother, brother and grandmother. He will turn 19 this summer and most recently attended Georgia State where he sometimes works in the college bookstore. 

Nigel has played on multiple club soccer teams in addition to his varsity high school team.  The InterAtlanta team on which he played was particularly diverse. We agreed that over the course of a season, it’s easy to get to know your teammates and their families better as you share many hours driving to games, sitting on the sidelines, staying in hotels and eating meals together. 

How often do you feel like discrimination affects you? I’m fortunate, I’ll try to think of positive things, so I don’t assume the person is racist but maybe they have a lack of knowledge. 

Have you or your family had any experience with police brutality or a cop ever pointing a gun at you? No. My family has not encountered any actions with the police.

Do you feel you have had to separate your personal life from your school or work life? The way I am at home and when I’m at work or school, I can still be the same person.  

What do you wish white people really understood about your experience as a black person? I wish some people would take the time to get to know black people because not all black people are what are being portrayed on TV and the news.  And, not all white people are racists. You should get to know people before you try to put a stamp on them. That’s good with playing sports because we had a mix of all sorts of races… it gives you an appreciation, because you get to see how other people live.  

Do you feel we are making progress in the U.S. on these issues compared to your parents’ generation?  Yes, but it seems like every time we try to make progress, something happens, and we wind up back at square one.  People take time and work on this, but then there have actually been people on social media making fun of the [George] Floyd situation, pretending to be a cop and putting their knee on someone’s neck.  There were boys and girls doing this at Missouri State.  The college said they could continue to attend if they attended a program to understand what they did wrong.  Wrong is wrong.

Do you think this moment of recognition by the U.S. is going to stick or be another passing chapter in race relations?  I think it’s going to stick. This is the last straw. Ever since middle school, in 6^th grade, when Trayvon Martin was killed, it was like a blueprint of what police could get away with.  You would see similar cases with the same outcome for the police (no punishment). People have had enough and have seen parents having to bury their sons and daughters over $20 bills or a soda and Skittles.  The way George Floyd died was, more so, torture.  He wasn’t able to breathe for nine minutes. That’s a slow pain. The way he died and how many cases have happened have made this the last straw. When you see the video, he is not resisting in any way and not giving the police officer any trouble.  If he really felt like killing him, it would have been better to shoot him. Rather than having to slowly die and gasp for air. 

Why do you think it took white people so long to get it? It’s because it’s not happening to you.  If you haven’t gone through something, but someone is warning you about it, if you’ve never gone through that, [you] probably wouldn’t take it as seriously. 

Is there any action that local or state officials can take to help? Have the laws actually mean something.  The law should apply to everyone. If three black men went to a bank and only one went inside to rob it, all three of them would be charged on the spot. But it took so long to prosecute the other three policemen [in the Floyd case].  It feels like there are two separate consequences for whites and blacks who commit crimes.

In some cities, police officers [who have been fired for racist behavior] are just hired by another city or another company. What the mayor or leaders do sets the tone for the police officers. When police officers are having to do arrests, they should picture their son or their daughter.  Do you really need to use that much force? I feel like that perspective would change a lot of situations. 

Since you are so tuned in with sports, what was your take on the controversy involving Drew Brees, quarterback of the New Orleans Saints? He said that players shouldn’t kneel because it disrespects the flag and [it’s offensive to Brees’] grandfathers and because they served in World War II.  I don’t know if he’s not aware, there are black players whose grandparents served in the war as well.  But they didn’t come home to the same welcome that his grandfathers did.  Even though they fought for the same country, they did not have the same freedom when they came home… Even though the flag might mean that to him, he has to realize to his teammates, it doesn’t mean the same for them… Most people listen to what you say the first time.  That’s typically how you feel.  He didn’t apologize until he got all the negative feedback. 

Where can white people start to help? 

• Start with something small. Share your experiences with black people with your other white friends. Nine times out of ten you get your opinions from other people’s interactions.
• Parents can really influence how their children perceive black people.  Too often, people make an excuse for why police choose to be violent, rather than just saying the police action was wrong. 
• Involve your children in activities or in sports on a team or in a club that is racially diverse. 
• Help to change the laws on police brutality. See https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/01/opinion/george-floyd-protest-police.html?smid=em-share. You can contact your Congressional representatives at www.house.gov and www.senate.gov.

What else am I overlooking on these issues? It’s been going on for so long. It’s bigger than you can imagine.  When something is going on for so long, it’s hard to change it.  Years ago, people taught their kids to treat black people a certain way.  It’s hard to end that cycle if that’s what you’ve been taught your whole life. Like when you are growing up, you are not really taught to write with both hands.  If I told you today to write with your opposite hand, it would be difficult. It would be difficult to look at black people another way if that’s all you’ve been taught. Just being educated on another culture helps the way you think.  Spend a few minutes getting to know other people before you are quick to make a judgment.

That’s what sports does.  It brings you together for one thing.  Everyone on the team wants to achieve one goal, whether it’s to win one game, win the season or win a major tournament.  They are all fighting for one thing. It’s hard thing to do in a non-sports related activity.  People who are not normally in the same social circles come together. Realistically, if we had not played on the same team, we never would have crossed paths if it wasn’t for soccer.