George Floyd, a US citizen of African-American descent, died on Thursday, May 25, 2020, following a racially motivated encounter with police officer Derek Chauvin. This event triggered massive protests as people demanded racial justice. Lewis Hamilton, the Mercedes F1 driver who has spent his career competing in an industry dominated by white athletes, shared his perspective on Floyd's death and criticized those who were hesitant to speak up.
George Floyd, the African-American citizen of the United States of America, had been reported dead on May 25th, 2020, Thursday, and the reason behind is the racial discrimination towards Floyd by a police officer named Derek Chauvin. The action has awoken a lot of commotion, where people are protesting for black people’s justice. Lewis Hamilton, Formula 1, star racer of Mercedes Benz who stood-out competing amongst white-people in the industry, spoke his thoughts about Floyd’s death and others’ hesitation in supporting the justice.
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton took a firm stand against his fellow competitors, stating, 'I know who you are and I see you,' as a critique of those staying silent about the tragedy of George Floyd. Visibly affected, Hamilton called on his peers to voice their opposition to racial discrimination, noting that he is well aware of who is remaining passive during this crisis. The visceral video evidence of the police brutality against Floyd pushed the public to finally rise up against years of systemic oppression. Other global icons, including Serena Williams and Michael Jordan, also condemned the treatment of Floyd, whose final pleas that he 'couldn't breathe' during Chauvin's assault became a symbol of the struggle.
Taking to Instagram, six-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton pointed out that many high-profile figures with massive platforms have chosen to stay silent about this injustice. As the only Black driver in the sport, Hamilton felt a responsibility to step forward boldly, asserting that there can be no true peace until systemic change occurs. He emphasized that the treatment of minorities in society must improve and argued that racial prejudice is a learned behavior, not something people are born with, urging everyone to treat others with equality. The movement extended beyond racing and into other sports; for instance, Bundesliga players Jadon Sancho and Marcus Thuram spoke out about Floyd's death following their matches.